Share 
New Brunswick has tabled a bill that would give the province authority to make regulations governing live online casino games.
The amendment to the Gaming Control Act is pitched as a way to protect consumers and keep pace with online gambling.
What the New Brunswick bill would change
According to a joint news release from the Department of Justice and Public Safety and the Department of Finance and Treasury Board, the current act does not give the government authority to regulate live casino events held online.
The province said the changes would allow it to adapt more quickly to new forms of gaming.
Public Safety Minister Robert Gauvin said updating the law is part of keeping residents safe. “Reviewing and updating legislation is an important part of keeping New Brunswickers safe,” he said. “As gaming continues to evolve, legislation must keep pace to ensure games continue to be regulated and responsible and that rules are effective and clear.”
Gauvin pointed to the growth of live casino play as the rationale. “With a greater variety of online offerings, live casinos are growing in popularity,” he said. “Regulating these types of games will provide a safer alternative to unregulated offerings in the province.”
Finance and Treasury Board Minister Rene Legacy backed the proposals. “Modernizing the Gaming Control Act is about keeping up with how gaming is changing,” he said. “These updates will ensure that new gaming options are developed responsibly and continue to meet the needs of players in a safe and regulated way.”
Wider Canadian push into online gambling
Last week, Legacy confirmed that New Brunswick is also reviewing whether to allow private companies to offer regulated online gambling. That could end Atlantic Lottery‘s exclusive position in the province. Atlantic Lottery Corp. is jointly owned by New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Atlantic Lottery has estimated that online gambling operators outside provincial jurisdiction generate more than C$250 million a year from players across Atlantic Canada. New Brunswick budget documents show lottery revenue has fallen by C$8 million over two years. Ads from legal operations in Alberta and Ontario reach New Brunswick residents through national broadcasts, and it is not illegal to bet on offshore sites.
Other provinces are also weighing changes as they debate whether lottery-led systems can keep pace with private iGaming operators, offshore sites and digital products.
More from gamingtoday.com
– New Brunswick Weighs Regulation of Private Online Casinos
—
Source: As reported by COMPLETE iGAMING.
