Canada sports betting will follow in the footsteps of its neighbor the US and legalize wagering on sporting events within the next two years. That was the bold prediction made in the Toronto Sun by Harley Redlick, who believes that Canada will need to make such a move in order to safeguard casino jobs and the economy and prevent money from leaking over the border to American gaming locations.

Emphasizing the possible financial gulf that could open up between the two countries due to the nature of Canada sports betting laws, he commented: “Even though we are the more liberal country in terms of legalizing recreational drugs, our old fashioned sports betting views are about to cost jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars — and will continue to make our underground bookmakers rich.”

According to Canada’s criminal code, governments may run lotteries but cannot sanction wagers on single sporting events. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation in Ontario allow ProLine and sports betting, but only by wagering on multiple events or parlays. Bettors who want to make a legal wager on a Stanley Cup game in Canada must also bet on other games on the same ticket which decreases the chances of winning.

More on Canada sports betting at SBC Americas