Bill C-290 is a private member’s bill which would alter the Canadian Criminal Code to allow for provincial lottery corporations to offer single-game sports betting.
Despite passing through the House of Commons unanimously, Bill C-290 has been held up by the Canadian Senate since 2012.
In January 2015, Kathleen Wynne, the Premier of Ontario, and Ontario’s Finance Minister Charles Sousa, spoke publicly in favour of passing Bill C-290.
Senator Bob Runciman, a supporter of bill C-290, said in a May 2015 interview with CBC News that “he would be surprised” if Bill C-290 was passed.
According to Senator Vern White, who is opposed to passing the bill, said passing Bill C-290 is not a priority of the Senate and there may not be enough support within the Senate to pass it.
If the Bill is not passed prior to the Canadian elections, which are tentatively scheduled for October 19, 2015, Bill C-290 must be reintroduced into the House of Commons and essentially start from the beginning.
