Casinos in Niagara Falls and Windsor have had a serious drop in American visitors and that has negatively affected casino revues. It is projected that provincial gambling revenues will drop from $2.02 billion in 2005/2006 to $1.77 billion this year. A strong Canadian dollar, sky-high gasoline prices in both countries, and long line ups at border crossings will certainly not be luring more Americans to our casinos any time soon. In order to get Americans to come back to Canadian casinos there has to be a hook. That hook may be allowing sportsbook gambling in Ontario casinos.

Sportsbook gambling allows a gambler to bet on the outcome of individual games – soccer, hockey, football, baseball, basketball, etc. Until now the only type of sports betting allowed in Ontario has been multiple parlay betting where the gambler selects the outcomes of 3 or more sports games on a parlay ticket, which is a government run lottery. Sportsbook gambling could bring Americans across the border in great numbers because the only place in the U.S. that sportsbook gambling is currently permitted is in Nevada.

Federal and provincial legislation would be required in order to make sportsbook gambling legal in Ontario. I can’t imagine why anyone would object since sportsbook gambling is alive and well on offshore and unregulated Internet sites and with illegal bookies. Why shouldn’t we make it legal and reap the economic benefits? North American professional sports leagues have traditionally opposed sportsbook betting in cities with a professional team, but these leagues are not helping our economy in the current downturn. Ontario casinos already have sportsbook gambling infrastructures in place with TV screens, scoreboards, and seating. I’m in favour of allowing sportsbook gambling in Ontario casinos. How about you?