WINDSOR — A Private Members Bill has been introduced in the House of Commons Tuesday to legalize single-event sports betting.
The bill was introduced by Saskatoon-Grasswood MP Kevin Waugh and supported by Windsor-West NDP MP Brian Masse.
It seeks to amend the criminal code to allow sports wagering on a single game to be properly regulated.
"This means jobs, this means 100-150 jobs in the Windsor area just alone," says Dave Cassidy, President of Unifor Local 444 which represents workers at Caesars Windsor. "Once again, here we are, they passed it in Michigan, they passed it in New York, a bunch of states in the U.S have passed single sports betting."
The Private Members Bill will now make its way through debates and ultimately a vote.
Speaking on the Evan Solomon Show, Cassidy points out even major sports leagues are in favour of this.
"We now have the National Hockey League, the CFL, the NBA, all major sports on board, we have the Olympics. Everybody is on board and this is going to generate tax revenue and jobs."
Cassidy says with Michigan casinos weeks away from the March Madness college basketball championships, they will have a major windfall from single sports betting.
It is estimated the underground single sports betting generates over $14-billion in illegal revenue.
This is the third attempt to get this bill passed.