Like their big neighbor to the south the provinces of Canada are giving a hard look at internet gaming. British Columbia has been there for years, and now Ontario is looking to get into the game.
In Canada the question of whether internet gaming is legal is considered a gray area. No one expects everyday citizens to be arrested for online gaming, but it is still untested law.
Canada leaves the question of gambling to its provinces. Internet gaming because it doesn’t recognize provincial lines, could theoretically bring the federal government into play.
Currently Canada’s Criminal Code does not make it illegal to bet at offshore sites based in places like the Isle of Man and Malta. That doesn’t necessarily mean that those sites might not be breaking Canadian law, however.
Most Canadian provinces, excluding Saskatchewan, have begun offering online lotteries, bingo and poker. The latest to join was Ontario in January. Alberta is expected to join this group in 2015.
In most cases betters are limited to playing on gaming sites offered within their provinces.
The courts have yet to rule on the legality of gaming offered by sites that don’t have a physical presence in a Canadian province. However many legal experts say it’s only a matter of time until the courts declare that a company advertising in Canada and accepting bets from Canadians, is subject to Canadian jurisdiction.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada’s federal police force, has yet to bring any case against an offshore gambling site. As more provinces enter the marketplace, that is likely to change.
That marketplace is a relatively fast moving medium because brick and mortar casinos are not required. It can take a few months between the time that a province asks for proposals from online operators to when the site begins taking bets.
Only Saskatchewan is not moving to join the rush to legalize online gaming.
Robin Campbell, the finance minister for the province of Alberta, has revealed that the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission is looking into the possibility of legalizing online gambling. The hope is for revenues to come in which would help build provincial projects.
The AGLC is currently seeking a vendor who would operate all of the online gaming on behalf of the province. Alberta would be one of the last provinces in Canada to feature a government-run gaming website if passed. However, challenges lie ahead with opposition party leaders who feel the government is going around legislature with hopes to expand gambling.
Liberal Leader David Swann said in an interview, “I am disturbed that we’re now going to extend gambling and raise more public money from gambling. It certainly hasn’t been presented to us in the legislature and presented to the public.” He continued, “It sounds like it is a fait accompli, which is unsettling to say the least.”
