NBA commissioner Adam Silver knows we're going to find a way to bet on sports, one way or another. (Photo credit: Keith Allison / Foter / CC BY-SA)
A bill that would allow for government-regulated single game sports betting in Canada may be on the verge of dying, but it gained a powerful ally this month.
The National Basketball Association informed the Canadian Senate that it has withdrawn its opposition to Bill C-290, a stark contrast to the position the NBA has taken in the past. (If you’re wondering why NBA games aren’t offered on Proline betting in Ontario, it’s because the league insisted on it as a condition for Toronto getting a franchise.)
NBA commissioner Adam Silver made headlines last fall when he declared his support for regulated sports betting. Silver said at the time that he wasn’t necessarily in favour of sports betting, he was more an advocate of transparency – and enough of a realist to realize that people are always going to bet on sports, one way or another.
Bill C-290, the bill that would repeal Canada’s ban on single-game wagering, is set to expire at the end of June, even though it was unanimously passed in the House of Commons more than three years ago.
The NHL, NFL, NCAA and Major League Baseball have long made clear their opposition to Bill C-290.