The Liberal candidate in Windsor-Tecumseh says he'll bring forward a private member's bill on single-event sports betting, if elected to Parliament later this month.

Frank Schiller issued a statement on Friday vowing to pick up from "where the NDP failed" in a past effort involving single-sports betting.

That announcement came on the same day that three local New Democrat candidates held a news conference in front of the casino, lamenting the fact that the private member's bill that now-retiring Windsor-Tecumseh MP Joe Comartin brought forward passed in the House of Commons three years ago but was never dealt with in the Senate.

Brian Masse, the New Democrat candidate and multi-term incumbent in Windsor West, told reporters he would bring a bill forward in the coming Parliament to do the same thing again.

"I will be submitting a bill, I will have that legislation all set and ready to go," Masse said.

Masse spoke to the media alongside Tracey Ramsey, the NDP candidate in Essex, and Cheryl Hardcastle, the party's candidate in Windsor-Tecumseh.

Ramsey was critical of Jeff Watson, the Conservative candidate running against her in Essex, who she said has publicly opposed the bill that Comartin brought forward.

"It's really difficult to understand why someone would oppose a bill that would bring job potential, bring an economic benefit to Windsor-Essex — an area that desperately needs it."

In a telephone interview on Friday evening, Watson confirmed that he was opposed to the legalization of single-event sports betting.

"There are better ways to create jobs, not only in our local economy, but across the country," Watson said, pointing to the Conservatives' economic plan.

Moving ahead with such legislation could create the incentive for individuals to bet everything they have on a single event, Watson said.

He also said that keeping a ban in place on single event betting also helps preserve the integrity of professional sports, as match-fixing is much less likely in a system where an individual must place bets on multiple events at the same time.

David Sundin, a Liberal candidate in Windsor West, said Friday that he supports sports betting, but thinks Windsor needs to look at the bigger picture.

He pointed to Liberal pledges for infrastructure spending as the best way to create jobs.

"It's unacceptable we're dealing with such high unemployment numbers here in Windsor," he said. "The Liberals have a real plan to finally address unemployment across the country, but particularly in Windsor."