A ‘New Era’ Begins in Single Event Sports Betting at Caesars Windsor

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It took 130 years to get to this moment.

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Caesars Windsor, local politicians and an NHL legend hailed the dawn of a “new era” Wednesday with the grand opening of Ontario’s first full-service single event betting operation.

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Brian Masse (NDP — Windsor West), who has spent years fighting to legalize sports betting on single games, said the historic change will mean more jobs and increased tourism for Windsor.

With the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar and tougher U.S. taxation of winnings, he said it could give Windsor “a renewed chance to re-occupy a special place of advantage in the region.”

“It also now gives us a product that competes with the United States, which we’ve been sorely lacking,” Masse said. “That’s critical because without that kind of convenience, we’re fighting with one hand tied behind our backs. So this means protecting jobs and continuing services that may even be expanded in the future, depending on how things go. But most importantly, we are no longer at a disadvantage.”

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Masse joined Hockey Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr, Mayor Drew Dilkens and Caesars Windsor President Kevin Laforet at the Caesars Sportsbook ribbon cutting at Caesars Windsor on Wednesday.

Dozens of others joined the special event at Legends Sports Bar, including Windsor-Tecumseh Rep. Irek Kusmierczyk and Unifor Local 444 President Dave Cassidy, which represents casino workers.

Laforet said the grand opening was the result of the work of a long list of people and agencies, including politicians, casino management and their union, tourism groups and business development agencies.

“In a way, we called it our coalition of rainbow colors because we had people from all parties, from workers, from management, because we knew that it would help us in our competitiveness,” he said. “What helps us is to support employment and tourism in our region.”

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For the first time ever, sports fans and gamblers can go to an Ontario casino and bet on a wide variety of individual events including professional football, basketball, baseball, hockey, soccer and auto racing.

Caesars Windsor said it is the first organization in Ontario to offer a full-service on-site sportsbook after Canada legalizes single-event betting in 2021.

Fuhr made the ceremonial first bet, pinning his hopes on a Jacksonville Icemen victory.

“I’m excited to be here as a Canadian, to be a part of Caesars Sportsbook opening here in Windsor, which I think is awesome,” he said.

Masse followed with a bet on the Miami Dolphins. Dilkens bet on the Denver Nuggets.

Before placing his bet, Dilkens applauded Caesars Windsor and its staff, who have battled pandemic shutdowns, for “coming back and building better.”

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“I can’t think of a better way to rebuild than to add another service, something that’s been talked about for years and years and years,” Dilkens said.

“Individual sports betting allows this community to be competitive with its neighbors in Michigan, with its neighbors in Ohio, because we know that people who come to these facilities have options. We want to make sure the opportunities here in the city of Windsor are second to none.”

Before the new law came into effect, Canadians had to place more difficult winning bets on a combination of multiple games.

The ban on betting on individual events – other than horse racing – has been in place since the Penal Code was passed in 1892. At least in part, it was an attempt to protect against contest-fixing.

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The Senate passed Bill C-218, The Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, on June 22, 2021. The bill received Royal Assent a week later.

The Act gives provinces the power to license and regulate sports betting and allow betting on individual events.

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. last year he launched Proline+, an online platform for betting on individual events in league sports.

But provincial regulations allowing casinos to offer on-site betting on individual events took longer to establish. Laforet said the approvals came in at the end of October and the kiosks went up in November.

The kiosk windows finally opened Wednesday after more than a decade of lobbying by Windsor politicians.

Joe Comartin, a former NDP MP for Windsor-Tecumseh, introduced a single-event sports betting bill in 2011.

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Masse took up the torch when Comartin became deputy speaker of the House of Commons. Masse’s efforts have been repeatedly politically derailed in the House of Representatives.

In 2020, Masse teamed up with Conservative MP Kevin Waugh (Saskatoon-Grasswood), who used his seventh-place finish in the Private Members Bill lottery to introduce Bill C-218.

Proponents of betting on individual events argued that it was already happening, but the spoils — an estimated $14 billion a year in Canada alone — went to foreign Internet operators or illegal, unregulated markets.

“At the end of the day, there’s no doubt that this is really about two things: protecting the jobs we have in the casino and taking money away from organized crime, sports betting, overseas accounts and so on,” Masse said.

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Cassidy, a longtime supporter of single-event betting, said legalization could create 100 new casino jobs.

“It was the right thing to do,” he said. “We have to compete with the USA. We have to be in that game.”

“I support anything that will increase traffic. For me, it’s all about business. So that’s a great thing today. It has finally come to fruition.”

In 2020, the NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB and CFL also joined the call to end the ban on single-game betting.

“Today’s grand opening is a testament to our community partners, team members and our guests who have all patiently waited for this day,” said Laforet.

Caesars Sportsbook at Caesars Windsor, with three betting windows and seven betting kiosks, is located in front of the Legends Sports Bar.

There are also betting kiosks outside the poker room, at the entrance to the main floor of the Skybridge and inside The House Sports Lounge.

Caesars betting is open every day from 10 am to midnight. Kiosks are open 24/7.

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