“So much money is moving offshore and offshore now includes sports wagering in the U.S. We’re really starting to feel the pressure — it’s having a dramatic impact,” Jim Lawson, CEO Woodbine Entertainment to CBC News
The Canadian gaming industry is losing billions of dollars in sports betting revenue to the black market each year due to federal prohibitions — and a recent legalization push in the U.S. could further threaten the viability of casinos in this country, proponents say.
Casino boosters in Canada, including NDP MP Brian Masse, are hoping the recent legalization of single-event sports betting in U.S. border states like Michigan and New York will force the Liberal government to act now to save casino jobs — especially at places like Caesars Windsor and the Niagara Falls-based Fallsview, which depend on a steady stream of U.S. gamblers to stay afloat.