Sports Betting in Canadian Land Casinos
September 16th, 2008Author: Christopher Cozzone
Jim Warren, a former senior official at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission said sports betting in Canada will bring tourists. “In order to attract Americans to the border casinos in Windsor and Niagara Falls, you have to provide them with exciting entertainment opportunities…” said Warren.
What Warren is speaking about is the idea of introduction of Las Vegas style sports betting in land casinos. Especially it concerns the land casino business in Niagara Falls and Windsor which is not going well. The idea is already being discussed at federal and provincial level. In case the proposals will go through, gamblers will be able to wager the outcome of individual football, baseball, hockey, basketball, soccer and other games.
Ontario casinos already have sports book network in place with TV screens, scoreboards and seating, but betting is limited to the government operated Pro-Line.
With sports betting permitted only in Las Vegas, US, Ontario casinos could get a major advantage over American competitors.
It must be noted that Canadian bureaucracy does not favor Internet gambling; however, it seems that they think differently about land sports betting.
