Canada reformed its law against gambling in 1969. Before that, outside of horse racing at the track or a community-minded bingo, gambling was a societal ill cast to dark corners. The legal shift led, first, to provincially run lotteries. Casinos and a lot more eventually followed, to the profit of a lucky few gamblers – and governments across the country. The house always wins.

Sports gambling remained a rare restriction. Betting on the Toronto Maple Leafs was technically illegal – and given their history, perhaps ill advised. But like cannabis before the 2018 legalization of weed, those interested in making such wagers could always find an illicit way to do so.