Loto-Quebec To Offer Online Gaming
Could this be a start to government regulation of online gaming in Canada? It appears so. Loto-Quebec has received cabinet approval to launch their own online gaming site, which would include online poker.
According to a report on CTV, “The provincial gambling monopoly, in conjunction the BC and Atlantic Lottery Corporations, will set up a site this fall aimed at stemming the lucrative yet unregulated internet gambling market.”
The government claims it is losing money to “illegal” offshore companies where citizens “are not protected” according to Finance minister Raymond Bachand. But the reality is, the government really just wants to control where people can choose to play and most likely offer worse odds than many of the online casinos currently in operation today.
I agree that something needs to be done about the current situation where there are many fly-by-night online casinos, but why not sell licenses to several of the big publically traded companies that are already in existance today such as 888 or Party Gaming where they can work with the government to ensure safety for the players. Monopolies are never a good thing in my eye as the consumer is the one who is going to really lose out from this.
The thing that I find funniest about this move is that the companies they claim to be “illegal” are operating right in their own backyard! Most of the sites that have had major issues recently have been based in Kahnawake which is guess where? That’s right, in Quebec!
Anyway, I think the best way to sum up this story is with a quote by one of the readers at CTV named Louie, “What a joke….so by setting up online gambling Loto Quebec will be helping “problem online gamblers”???“
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