The onset of CFL brought about a wave of excitement for Canadian citizens as well as Canadian football fans everywhere. It is one adrenaline fuelled battle to the field and has managed to snag the attention of the Canadian media meanwhile sports channels are entirely torn between fixating their attention on the FIFA World Cup currently being held in Russia and the CFL (Canadian Football League) down in Canada.
CFL seems to be putting up one hell of a fight with the new revelations about the speculated legislations regarding sports betting in the U.S. and north of the border. These laws will not be affecting only the betters placing singular bets but also the par layers all across the continent as long as the games they bet on involve U.S.A or Canada.
Throw into this mix some congressional drama and the perfect recipe for forthcoming disaster is ready.
What is CFL?
The CFL, or Canadian Football League, is the national football league in Canada and hence the highest level that you could compete on in Canada football – wise. The competition is between nine cities that represent nine different cities throughout Canada. The total of these teams are divided in two divisions – East Division (four teams) and West Division (five teams). It’s a 21 weeklong event held from mid June to November.
This year’s season has already begun and is currently on the third week of its progression.
What are the legislative developments that are sports related?
Last Monday the U.S Supreme Court gave a verdict which gave a green light to sports betting in the states. The verdict had the nation react in various ways. From strong Protestants to silent supporters – all sorts of reactions were recorded.
The fact that it will be affecting the sports and betting market on a large scale is very obvious. It is still being anticipated whether or not the gross result will be a profit or loss. By the end of the month the statistics will make it clear.
This verdict ruled out a previous law which banned anyone in the states from betting on football, basketball, baseball and other sports as well. Considering there are many major sports involved it is expected that it will turn the tide with viewing and betting each and every game involved.
How exactly will these laws affect sports in U.S.A and Canada?
The betting business hadn’t been that widespread and popular due to current laws. However, there are some differences between the US and Canada. Firstly, Canada has a more complicated relationship with betting. Whilst sports betting is out rightly prohibited, gambling at both land and online based casinos is permissible. Many Canadians, can freely enjoy playing online casino games, something Americans cannot. In America, it is a state by state affair with land based casinos accounting for the majority of the market.
Until, the new regulations passed in the US both countries prohibited sports betting. Something which has now proved too lucrative for the US to ignore further. Along with a lot of room for the betting market to grow this also creates an air of mystery around the topic. The thrill of betting on a game without repercussions, at least not legal, is reeling in a lot of people to the rink.
Agencies like B.C are allowed take bets as long as they were parlayed – they were placed simultaneously on at least two games. In the wake of this new law, individual bets can be now placed.
Reportedly, the Canadian agencies are facing a certain amount of pressure from the establishment of this law. Earlier some changes were expected to be made but the latest statement ensures that it is pretty much set in stone.
A Vancouver sports commentator said that –
“It will put the issue back on the front – burner here in Canada as well. There’s no doubt in my mind the provincial lottery corporations are ready to take the lead given the right federal legislation. It’s a huge development for sports betting in North America and will allow it to catch up with Europe and Asia, where sports betting has been legal for years. “
However the changes are not expected to be quick in Canada. Earlier there were prohibitions on single game betting. The betters were forced to resort to parlaying but now that the bar has been lofted from that it will be expected to see betting catch wind, even if it’s a little slower than what was initially intended.
In U.S these changes are legal and waging on a single game (American or Canadian) is perfectly safe and within the bounds of legal boundaries as long as the protocols are followed. Whereas in Canada the only form of betting that is legal is – parlaying (multi game wagers) and even that is through agencies only. So if the Canadian citizens do try to place single game bets online they will do so as a punishable offense against the national laws. It may not seem like much but it is definitely a risk considering that this law is being contrasted highly by the difference of opinion on the two neighboring governments.
Experts are saying that this is the biggest move in sports in a long while. Some are comparing it to the White Sox scandal dating back to over almost a century. It is debatable how much of an impact it will create on the Canadian Sports but an impact is inevitable. The fact that this decision was passed around the same time as the commencement of the annual Canadian Football League (CFL) has definitely stirred up an ongoing conversation and there’s a good chance of a huge number of bets being placed on the league matches / teams.
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