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New Brunswick is exploring whether to regulate private online casinos and sports betting.
No final decision or legislation has been announced, and the review has not given private operators permission to enter the provincial market.
Premier Susan Holt’s Liberal government is considering a potential change to a system centered on the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC). According to Action Network, Finance Minister René Legacy confirmed the government is “exploring options around regulating private online operators.”
A Review of the Atlantic Lottery Model
ALC currently holds the only legal, government-regulated online casino gambling and sports betting role across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. The corporation belongs to those four provincial governments and returns all its profits to them to support public services.
New Brunswick says it is monitoring other jurisdictions and wants to keep its legal framework current while supporting a safe, responsible gambling environment. Ontario has offered a regulated market with private online sports betting and casino operators since 2022 while Alberta launched its regulated market in July.
The review comes amid concerns from ALC and provincial officials about money flowing to offshore and unregulated gambling websites. ALC has reported capturing only about one-third of Atlantic Canada’s online gambling market.
Provincial budget documents also indicate that New Brunswick’s government lottery revenue has fallen by about $8 million compared with two years earlier.
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Source: As reported by Action Network.
