Blog entry published on 30 August 2010
Even Canada's Prince Edward Island Wants in on Online Gambling Action
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The joys of online gambling, it has to be said, seem to be 'contagious', if the growing popularity of the exciting and dynamic internet activity across my native Canada is anything to go by. Just a week or so ago PlayNow.com was launched (albeit for the second time) in British Columbia, to become the first ever government-sanctioned online casino in Canada and North America.
U.S. online gambling fans could only cry when their arguably more 'conservative' neighbours to the north did exactly what their government seems incapable of doing - which is legalizing and regulating online gambling to generate much-needed taxes as well as to ensure only the most trustworthy and 'above board' online gambling operators are allowed to service Canadian gamblers.
But in fact, British Columbia is not the only Canadian province that is warming up to the idea of legalized and regulated online gambling. Quebec is pretty much on board, Ontario is more looking likely to follow suit and even Saskatchewan is reportedly starting to see the benefits of reaping millions of dollars in taxable online gambling revenues.
But perhaps the most surprising potential newcomer to board the Canadian online gambling boat is Prince Edward Island.
Recently, Wes Sheridan, finance minister of Prince Edward Island and nearby areas, confirmed that the local government has being weighing up the pros and cons of becoming one of the country's newest online gambling friendly provinces. Sheridan told CBC News that the online gambling market in Prince Edward Island and surrounding areas is worth approximately $50 million a year, pretty much all of which is currently ending up in the coffers of offshore online gambling sites.
Sheridan was quoted as saying to CBC: 'What we're looking at, and what [Atlantic Lottery Corporation] has proposed, is to go forward and put a site up there to compete with these offshore entities and play in a regulated, policed kind of fashion.' He also made it very clear that of primary concern to the government is the safety of online gamblers in Prince Edward Island and beyond, and that online gambling going forward should be regulated to ensure it is conducted both fairly and responsibly.
So watch this space to see whether Prince Edward Island will join the 21st century where online gambling is concerned or not.
 | Posted by Anton Johan at 10:17 on 30 August 2010 |
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