Nova Scotia, through its partner Atlantic Lottery Corp., went live with its online casino July 21.
Finance Minister Allan MacMaster commented in an interview with CBC News, “We didn’t want to make a big announcement about this. We’re not trying to really promote it.” He added, “We just wanted to put it out there. It’s up and running now and it’s there for people who want to play.”
There were extensive cabinet discussions with Minister Brian Comer, who is in charge of addictions and mental health and with other health officials, said MacMaster. But as reluctant as the government was to go live with the site, the reality was that “People are gaming on sites quite literally from just about anywhere in the world.”
He added, “There’s no guarantee of payouts and there’s also, you know, very little in the way of protections for people who, you know, may become addicted to them and have other problems with them.”
On the other hand, having a site based in Nova Scotia means that players will have a safe, secure place. The site will include tools for players to limit their time and how much money they spend.
The Finance Department projects that the provincial gaming corporation will generate $10 million. That wasn’t a factor in the decision, though, said MacMaster. “What really drove it was the fact that it’s out there,” he said. “It exists without us and if we have a presence, well at least maybe we can protect people and recoup some of the money that’s leaving our province.”
