• Is Online Sports Betting Legal In Ontario
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• Is Sports Betting Legal Online
• Is Sports Betting Legal In Ontario Quebec

The Criminal Code of Canada makes it illegal to gamble or conduct any gambling activities within Canada unless they fall within exceptions set out in the Criminal Code.

The Criminal Code of 1892/1910
First enacted in 1892, the Criminal Code has undergone many changes over the years to tolerate gambling under certain conditions. A 1910 amendment permitted pari-mutuel betting, which is a form of gambling in which winners get paid from a pool after the authorities take their cut first. The 1910 amendment allowed occasional games of chance provided that all profits were used for charitable or religious purposes and, also, games at agricultural fairs and exhibitions.

Automated sports betting software isn’t just a thing, it’s a fact of life for the serious player. Just as the online betting sites continue to improve the quality of their product through technology, the professional bettors – often referred to in the game as the smart money – are also advancing their opportunities for winning. Sports betting online in Ontario is 100% legal and so easy to get involved in. Any Ontario resident can gamble online as long as they are over 18 years of age and have an active email address and phone.

The Canadian Government Law
The Canadian government made betting-related changes to the Criminal Code in 1970, expanding the exceptions and leading to the creation of a multi-billion dollar gambling industry in Canada. For example, Canada’s first commercial casino opened in Winnipeg in 1989 and now they are such facilities in most of the country’s provinces. A large number of local governments are operating what are known as video lottery terminals, which, instead of vending coins to winners, pay out in coupons that are redeemable for cash. Also, many local governments are running profitable lotteries.

Sports Betting Laws (parlays)
One of the quirks of the Criminal Code is that it stipulates that it is against the law to bet on a single sport event or athletic contest. Authorized betting operators only permit sports punters to bet on the outcome of multiple matches in, say, the National Hockey League. This bet is called a parlay. Consequently, hundreds of thousands of Canadian gamblers bet online with bookmakers not licensed in their country, which is illegal.

There are moves afoot to amend the Criminal Code once again to enable Canadian sports punters to bet on single events legally, at least with Canada-based organizations, thanks to the work of Bob Runciman and his colleagues.

Recently Senator Runciman, an ex-provincial Leader of the Opposition in the Ontario Legislature and a Conservative Party member of the Canadian Senate since 2010, moved the third reading of Bill C-290 that aims to change the Criminal Code in relation to sports betting and, in doing so, gave an impassioned plea for his Senate colleagues to pass something that made it through the House of Commons unanimously.

Quotes ‘pro’ sports betting

“Voting against this bill ignores the testimony of those who treat problem gamblers. Voting against this bill ignores the submissions of those with experience enforcing the laws against illegal gambling. Voting against this bill plays to what I consider the baseless claims of the professional sports leagues. Voting against this bill ignores the reality of sports betting today, a reality that has been played out in the headlines of this city in recent weeks with the arrest of 21 area people charged with bookmaking in connection with a multi-million-dollar, Internet-based sports betting operation,” said Senator Runciman.

“Make no mistake: if you vote against this bill, you are not voting to put a stop to single-event sports gambling, but you are voting to ensure it remains in the shadows, with the money going offshore and to organized crime.

“What else did the experts who testified before Senate Committee tell us? Well, they agreed that the incidence of problem gambling has stabilised at around one per cent of the population in recent years, despite a vast increase in gambling opportunities. Legalized single-event sports betting is unlikely to move those numbers.

Is Online Sports Betting Legal In Ontario

“In fact, problem gambling is more likely in the illegal environment, where responsible gambling measures are not in place, a fact confirmed by Doctor Kelly when he told us about two studies his organisation did in 2001 and 2005.

“I do not want to minimise the problems caused by gambling in our society but I do want to ensure things are kept in perspective. The dire social consequences predicted by opponents of this bill are not supported by the facts.

“Also, we received submissions from the NFL, the NHL and the NBA. These leagues provided strongly worded briefs, all apparently written by the same person, that suggest legalised betting is destructive to the social fabric, a threat to the integrity of sports and damaging to the bonds of trust between sporting organisations and their fans.

“This is from Major League Baseball, which looked the other way as steroid-fuelled players rewrote the record book ‚Äî the same Major League Baseball where the all-time hits leader, Pete Rose, has admitted he bet on 52 games of his own team in a single season. This is from the NHL, which allowed a convicted bookie, Rick Tocchet, to become head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is the same NHL that allowed the Edmonton Oilers to sign an advertising agreement with Bodog, a gambling website, which included rink board advertising, concourse and other signage and radio spots. This is the same NHL that promotes the PRO-LINE Dash for Cash between periods of Ottawa Senators games. This is from the National Football League that plays games in London, England, a country that has had single-event sports betting for many years. It seems to me, honourable senators, that these leagues are doing a pretty good job of threatening the integrity of sports all by themselves.

“What we have in North America are sports leagues that believe that if they pretend gambling does not exist they do not need to worry about it. Let us get real here. Why do they think newspapers print the point spreads for games?

“I will conclude by addressing the moral argument and the belief that we should not encourage an activity such as gambling. There is an argument that we do not legalize drugs and prostitution simply because people want to engage in these activities, so why should we legalize gambling? Honourable senators, that is a false analogy. Gambling is already legal. In fact, sports betting is already legal.

“There is no moral distinction between betting on multiple games, known as a parlay, which is now legal, and betting on a single game. The only difference is that most sports fans know that parlay betting is for suckers because you have very little chance of winning and that is the reason people are attracted to single-event sports betting and why they will continue to engage in it, whether or not this chamber passes this legislation. The reality is that we cannot shut down the Internet. They have tried that in the United States with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. The money seized under that act is a pittance compared to what is being gambled online by Americans. It is suggested it is over $1 billion a day according to some estimates.”

Conclusion:
Strictly speaking, the Criminal Code makes it an offense for Canadians to bet with gambling organizations not licensed in Canada. It would seem that the Canadian governments are not bothered about enforcing the law as it stands, although that may change if the C-290 passes bill and one of the main excuses for betting overseas becomes a thing of the past.

Canada is considered by many to be one of the most liberal countries in the world. However, that does not mean there are no laws and regulations people need to abide by, especially when sports betting and gambling are concerned.

Sports betting is a hugely popular activity in all of Canada, and particularly in its most populous province — Ontario. This province is one of the few that have completely regulated sports betting and everything related to it, such as where you can place sports wagers, what type of bets are allowed and more.

In this article, we are going to talk more about sports betting in Ontario, the laws that apply to it, and where you can bet on sports in this province. Read on!

Sports Betting Sites for Ontario

Legal Framework of Gambling in Ontario — Is Sports Betting Legal?

Canada’s Criminal Code is the supreme legislation in the country when it comes to gambling laws and many other activities. When it was first written, back in the 19th century, all forms of gambling were banned.

However, thanks to several updates to the law, the gambling scene in Canada, and Ontario in particular has changed dramatically. With the 1970 Criminal Code, Ontario and other provinces were allowed to make gambling legal or illegal, whatever they deemed fit.

Ontario was one of the first provinces to jump on the bandwagon and legalize most forms of gambling, including casinos, sports betting, horse racing, lottery, and more.

As a result, sports betting and other forms of gambling are thriving in Ontario and are completely legal. Currently, all forms of gambling are regulated under the 1992 Gaming Control Act. Under this Act, The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario was established in 1998 to regulate sports betting and other forms of gambling in the province.

The power of licensing, conducting and regulating sports betting has since been transferred to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLGC) which remains the only legal provider of sports betting in the province.

Players need to be at least 19 years of age to partake in sports wagering in Ontario.

How Does Sports Betting Work in Ontario?

The only legal form of betting on sports is through the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLGC), more specifically its OLG Pro-Line betting system.

Via the Pro-Line system, players can bet on Hockey, American and Canadian professional football leagues, American college football, baseball, basketball, American college basketball, North American soccer and European soccer.

This is where a little bit of confusion comes in. Namely, players need to actually go to a retail sports betting or lottery shop and fill in the ticket with their picks before their bet is validated. You can go to the Pro-Line website (www.proline.ca) and print the ticket with your selections there, but you will still need to physically take it to the retail partner of OLG to place the bet. Needless to say, this is pretty inconvenient.

Where Is Sports Betting Legal

Another essential fact when it comes to sports betting in Ontario is that single-game betting is not allowed, so all forms of sports bets need to be based on parlays. A new Bill dubbed C-221 that aims at legalizing single-game sports wagering was proposed for the first time back in 2016, but nothing has been done since then. However, as PM Trudeau indicated, the Parliament is due to vote on the matter in 2020, so it remains to be seen if Canadians will be able to engage in single-game sports wagering or not.

In the meantime, the following types of sports betting remain available to Ontario residents:

Legal Sports Betting In Virginia

• Pro-line: Players will see odds for the outcomes of different events, and need to choose between 3 to 6 bets for each betting slip. The players can wager between C$2 and C$100 per betting slip.
• Pool betting: With pool betting, the players compete among themselves for a big payout. First, the bettors need to choose their Pools Card number and choose the winner of each and every fixture on the Pool Card. The wagering amount is fixed at C$5.
• Point spread: For each game, there will be a point spread handicap, and players need to choose the winner of each contest on their betting slip, together with their corresponding handicaps. There can be 2 to 12 events on a slip, and the wagers range from C$2 to C$100.
• Props: Props are types of bets that can be placed on football, baseball, and hockey games. Players can bet on whether the total number of completed passes, passing yards, interceptions, or fumbles in a game will be over or under the indicated amount.

Are Offshore Sports Betting Sites Illegal in Ontario?

Is Sports Betting Legal Online

Strictly speaking, players are prohibited from placing any bets in sites not licensed by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLGC), so offshore betting sites appear to be off-limits. However, when players engage in gaming activities in offshore betting sites, they are technically not playing in Canada, so the laws and regulations that apply in Ontario do not apply to these sites. Ontario residents won’t face any legal repercussions from playing on these sites that often offer better odds, more betting options, and bonuses you won’t find in the OLGC options.

Is Sports Betting Legal In Ontario Quebec

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