Major leagues throw weight behind Canadian betting push

A coalition of major North American sports leagues have publicly expressed their support for single-event sports betting in Canada.

In a joint statement published by the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), the National Basketball Association (NBA); National Hockey League (NHL); Major League Soccer (MLS); Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Canadian Football League (CFL) hailed efforts to allow legal betting.

“Sports betting gives fans another exciting way to engage with the sports they love,” the leagues said. “Because a legal and regulated sports betting market in Canada would be beneficial to sports and their fans, we urge prompt action to make this a reality.

“Sports betting already happens illegally in Canada; creating a legal framework would shift consumers from illicit, unregulated markets to a legal and safe marketplace. Regulating single-game betting would allow for strong consumer protections as well as safeguards to further protect the integrity of sports.”

Read the full story on iGB North America.