Private vs. Government-Run Sports Leagues in Canada: Which Model Is Better for Betting Fans?

Major sports leagues are one of the main sources of entertainment in pretty much any country or nation. However, the teams that are named after a city are rarely owned by the municipality or government of that city. They are typically under the ownership of a company or an entrepreneur. Additionally, the teams are often backed by massive gambling brands like MGM, FanDuel, Bet99, etc.

There are advantages and pitfalls to these arrangements, but in general, both sides greatly benefit. Truth be told there are plenty of other channels for casinos to increase their visibility, like region-specific review sites. This is something that Golden Tiger Casino Canada operator does through the RealGambling platform or similar ones. It’s a way for readers to gain valuable insights into what the operator has to offer, and compare it to other brands. But having your logo and name displayed on a big stadium is more impactful.

Still, if the team belongs to a city and represents them in the league wouldn’t it make more sense to be owned by that same city? In a sense yes, but there are reasons why this is rarely the case. Read on to find out why.

Key Differences Between Private and Government-Run Sports Leagues in Canada

Let’s start with the important explanation. Government-run teams aren’t actually owned by a municipality, instead, they are managed by a community group or by a board of governors. The board is elected or appointed in several ways, based on qualifications and maybe agreements among the city officials. Some examples of community-owned teams would be:

• CFL Elks - They were sold in 2024 to Larry Thompson, but up until that point they were community-owned.
• Saskatchewan Roughriders
• Winnipeg Blue Bombers

However, even as community-owned they can still have shareholders and sponsors, and these shareholders also have a say in who runs the team. On top of that they receive funding from the government.

In other words, even as a community-owned organization a team can have substantial funding sources, but often times that’s not enough to compete in a big league. Talent acquisition, and making sure the team is profitable aren’t easy. Experienced business owners are often better at this than non-profit organizations or governments, so the team’s value drops and it becomes difficult to stay relevant. That’s when someone else acquires it.

Impact on Betting Opportunities

When it comes to gambling sponsorships it’s really up to the league whether they will allow these brands to be advertised during the events. These permissions should also align with local regulatory standards for these types of businesses. But bettors can typically expect unique promotions and giveaways from gambling brands that are official partners of the leagues or a sports team.

When a team is backed by a sportsbook, they tend to have data-sharing agreements in place, which gives that bookmaker additional information and analytics. These are important factors for the algorithms that are used to generate odds. Of course, regardless of the bookmaker’s odds, bettors should always use other apps for tracking stats, if they wish to make informed decisions.

Another perk for betting fans is that they can make live bets easier during the event. It’s not uncommon for gambling brands to provide free Wi-Fi on the stadium that is owned by the partner team. However, they tend to limit access to other betting sites from that network so that visitors are forced to use their sportsbook to wager.

Community-owned clubs might be more reluctant to accept these partnerships because they want a brand that’s more family-friendly. This gets them more virtue points and praise, but it can hinder their financial goals and performance. On the other hand, privately owned clubs count on betting fans to support their gambling partners. They know that those who love to spend money on gambling will likely do it in a way that indirectly supports their team.

Popularity and Viewership Trends

Having live-stream of the matches on the sportsbook sites has become an industry standard. For these big events, fans are usually forced to unlock sports channels that are locked by the cable provider. Now they don’t have to since they can follow the stream online by visiting the betting site. This makes matches more accessible to the viewers and it positively impacts the overall viewership.

Views are an important metric for these events as they give clubs leverage when negotiating other sponsorships. Additionally, gambling businesses want pro athletes as their brand ambassadors. So, they can provide a significant financial boost to the team in order to acquire players with more star power. These moves help the clubs get a bigger fanbase worldwide.

Final Thoughts

Community-owned teams in major sports leagues are a rarity nowadays. Some of them can be competitive, but the costs are high and sponsorships are vital for them to stay relevant. Privately owned clubs also care about their image and the opinion of the locals, but at the end of the day, they will be treated like a business or an asset.