It has Royal Assent, so what is the delay in implementing the new single-event sports betting bill?
Windsor West MP Brian Masse is asking the Prime Minister that question just as Caesars Windsor starts reopening.
"Casinos like Caesars in Windsor are still waiting to develop their full implementation plans, and this affects their operations and job creation," he wrote in the letter to Justin Trudeau.
Related story: UPDATE: Caesars Windsor is getting ready to reopen its hotel, Neros
Masse fought for over a decade to get the bill passed after picking up the torch from former Windsor-Tecumseh MP Joe Comartin.
Bill C-218, the latest attempt, was introduced by Conservative MP Kevin Waugh last November and was finally passed by the Senate on June 29. Masse notes it took weeks to receive Royal Assent, but it still awaits proclamation, and there's no date for it to come into effect.
In the meantime, Masse says provinces haven't been able to finalize their regulations, and "the illegal and offshore sportsbooks have received $1.5-billion in wagers."
"Bill C-218 will establish regulated sports betting and ensure profits are received by communities across the country, rather than the illegal operators," he wrote. "Every moment we delay is a continued opportunity for organized crime."
The letter is dated August 9.
Single-event sports betting could create 150 new jobs at Caesars Windsor.
