If the Canadian Senate had passed the single game sportsbetting bill, would the illegal Superbowl sportsbetting operation have happened last Sunday? The Canadian Gaming Association says Canada’s outdated laws provide criminal organizations a loophole to use unregulated online casinos to garnish money from single game bets. The CGA argues that legal single game bets through provincially licensed online casinos will reduce these illegal operations, and deliver a huge blow to organized crime.
It was reported that the York Regional Police, with assistance from the RCMP, raided a banquet hall in Markham the night of the Superbowl – which was used to front an illegal sportsbetting operation. The authorities discovered millions in cash bets, along with computers running an unregulated online casino to reach a larger betting audience. CGA CEO Bill Rutsey says several organized crime rings run similar operations across the country in part due to the outdated gambling laws.
“What we now have learned is that this party was just one part of a sophisticated organized crime operation taking millions of dollars in sports wagers, the proceeds of which are used to fund other illegal operations of organized crime.”
Rutsey says the police raid proves that turning a blind eye to illegal sportsbetting won’t put a stop to the operations. He says regulated online casinos and bookmakers that force Canadians to legally bet on a minimum of three games is no longer applicable in today’s gambling environment. The internet allows players to bet on any number of online gambling websites regardless of their legal status, and the illicit sites fund criminal organizations.
As a result, Rutsey encourages the Canadian Senate to use this raid as proof that the sportsbetting bill must pass into law in order to reduce the number of illegal betting operations in Canada. National or provincial gambling regulatory organizations – along with online casino guides – can help players find legitimate sites to place single game bets, and take funds away from organized crime.
