Atlantic Lotto, the agency that operates lotteries in four Eastern Canadian provinces, is expanding the reach of its online casino, which was launched last August in New Brunswick. According to CBC News, the lottery will soon offer online games in Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.
While no limits for the new sites have been released, the New Brunswick site permits wagers of up to $500 on a single hand of blackjack or up to $100 on a single slot play.
The expansion of iLottery has been pushed by the agency for years, but officials told CBC the Covid-19 shutdowns of casinos accelerated the effort. “Offshore operators who are marketing to Atlantic Canadians really picked up steam over Covid,” said Chris Keevill, CEO of Atlantic Lotto. “We don’t think that they operate with the best interests and safety of Atlantic Canadians in mind.”
Keevill said around to around $100 million leaves the Atlantic region each year through offshore iGaming sites that are “very difficult to track.”
In a statement to CBC News, the Nova Scotia Gaming Corp. said “implementation of online casino-style games is being evaluated,” and that the gambling regulator “will continue to work with experts to ensure Nova Scotians have a safe and responsible online gambling option.”
The P.E.I. cabinet approved that province’s participation in an online casino in December. There has been no word on whether or when iLottery will be implemented in Newfoundland/Labrador, where Atlantic’s other lottery operates.
