NHL not interested in bill to allow single-sports betting
The NHL is against a proposed single-sports betting bill that would allow Canadians to bet on outcomes of individual games.
In a letter to Windsor West NDP MP Brian Masse, Bill Daly, deputy commissioner of the NHL, writes "we continue to believe that Bill C-290 will increase the overall volume of sports betting in Canada which is a result we do not favour."
Bill C-290 would amend the Criminal Code and allow bets to be legally placed on single sporting events.
Currently, gamblers must wager on a minimum of two games at once in order to bet on sports. In most instances, three games are required.
The bill has passed in the House of Commons but has stalled in the Canadian Senate.
Windsor West MP Brian Masse wrote the NHL in January, looking to persuade the league to change its mind on the bill.
"Single event sports' betting already exists in a major way," he wrote. "My preference would be to see those revenues supporting important social programming like health care, education and gaming addiction programs."
The NHL had previously submitted a letter to the federal government expressing opposition to the bill.
"Government sponsored and/or regulated single-game sports gambling threatens to compromise the reputation and integrity of the NHL's product, and could seriously undermine our fans' trust and confidence in honest competition," it wrote. "If single-game sports betting becomes a publicly fostered and sponsored institution, then the very nature of sports in North America (including the National Hockey League) will change, and we fear it will be changed for the worse."
In his letter, Masse said the NHL is clearly involved in sports betting, pointing to a multi-year agreement the NHL signed with DraftKings.com, an online, fantasy sports website.
Read Brian Masse's letter and the NHL's response below: