Canada’s newest gaming coalition, made up of five provincial gaming corporations, is taking aim at illegal online gambling in the country, by asking the federal government to take action on unlicensed activities.
Named the Provincial Lottery Corporations, the coalition is made up of Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis; the British Columbia Lottery Corporation; Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation; the Atlantic Lottery Corporation; and Loto-Quebec.
The five bodies argue that since commercial gambling is illegal in Canada unless controlled by the provincial government, this offers an overside that helps players by giving them a secure environment to play in, free from predatory practices, with age-gating, and safe play resources, which illegal and offshore online sites do not.
The Atlantic Lottery Corporation president and chief executive Patrick Daigle said: “Research shows that the majority of players are unaware of whether an online site is legal in their province or not. This is a significant amount of money that could be staying right here in our region to fund public services, but instead continues to be taken away from helping our communities to the sole benefit of illegal operators.”
Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation president and chief executive Manny Atwal added: “The members of our coalition return their profits back to the province in which they operate.
“These profits help fund important programs and services like healthcare, education, and community programs. Illegal gambling websites advertise to Canadian players but often operate outside of Canada, taking the profits with them.”
