It’s quite common for sports teams to forge partnerships with gambling operators. This can be seen as controversial with those against the partnerships concerned that it would encourage people to gamble. As long as the responsible gambling message is put across though, there’s no reason why top Canadian sports team shouldn’t be dealing with gambling operators.
There are so many online betting sites now, so it makes sense for sports teams to join up with them. The sports teams gain valuable revenue and the online gambling sites get excellent publicity. Half of the teams in the English Premier League had a betting linked logo on their shirts. They also partner with betting companies in other ways and some have betting shops at their grounds.
Deals being signed would also be good news for the supporters of the Canadian sports teams Often there are exclusive offers made by online betting companies to the supporters of the teams that they have sponsorship deals with. There’s already lots of online gambling action for Canadian residents. Sports betting in Canada underwent significant changes after the federal government passed Bill C-218 in August 2021, which made single-event sports betting legal. While the NHL is the top sport for betting among Canadians, the percentage of Canadian sports bettors who wagered on NFL betting in Canada in the past year was 26%, which is the second most popular American sport to wager on.
At present in Canada, only parlay betting is allowed on sport. That means you have to pick the winner of multiple games rather than just a single event. It’s a situation that used to be the case in the United Kingdom a few decades ago. People still bet on sport but the more results you have to get right, the higher the odds and more chance of losing. Being able to bet on just the one match was a major step forward for gamblers. Now look at the influence that gambling companies has on UK sport and the same could happen in Canada. And now with the increase and evolution of technology, even AI-powered predictive sports firms are partnering with Canadian betting sites.
There have been some recent efforts though with support from the NHL, MLB, MLS, and the Canadian Football League offering support. Their view is that such a move would be beneficial to sports and their fans. February of this year saw Canadian MP Kevin Waugh filing a bill that would allow single-game betting.
If that does happen, then it may well make sponsorship more likely. That has been the case in the USA since sports betting was made legal in many states. That was a move that had been resisted by major sports bodies were worried that betting would threaten the integrity of their game. Of course, money is so important especially during these troubled times. Teams have lost income due to leagues being suspended and then having to play games without a paying crowd. More betting income would delight the taxman and sponsorship would help fill a few financial holes.
It seems only a matter of time before Canadian sport catches up with other nations. Teams aren’t going to be happy watching their American neighbors getting additional revenue and will push to get a slice of the cake.