Shortly after the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation announced that it is looking into the option of launching its own regulated online gambling websites, Manitoba politicians announced a similar plan. MP Joe Comartin is monitoring the progress and success of online gambling in other provinces before he decides whether or not it is the right choice for the province of Manitoba.
“We’re going to keep an eye on what other jurisdictions are doing and will use those observations to influence our decision,” says Comartin.
Paul Burns of the Canadian Gaming Association thinks it’s a matter of “when” rather than “if”. He believes that the $1 billion that Canadian players are spending on offshore gambling websites could be better spent at regulated online gambling websites, like PlayNow.com and EspaceJeux. A portion of the profits from these government-regulated sites are donated to a wide range of community efforts across the country, so the legalization and regulation of online gambling would benefit Canada as a whole.
The success of the OLG’s online gambling website is likely to sway the opinions of Manitoba politicians. BCLC and Loto Quebec are also seeing a great deal of progress, which may make Joe Comartin’s decision on whether or not to regulated online gambling much easier.
