Blog entry published on 22 November 2010
Loto Quebec to Launch Online Gambling Site
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While there are countless differences between us Canadians and our American
neighbors to the south, one I love is the way our nations regard online
gambling. While online gambling is banned across the board in the United States,
in Canada the legality of the popular internet activity has been left up to the
respective provinces.
For instance, not too long ago British Columbia launched a government-sanctioned
site that is proving to be very popular. And now, according to reports, Quebec
is set to become the latest province to jump aboard the online gambling express
when Loto Quebec launches its own online gambling site on December 1 this
year.
Known as espacejeux.com, the new site is expected to offer eight poker game variants as well as roulette and blackjack, and will only be open to residents of Quebec 18 and older. Plus, as a safeguard against problem gambling, players on espacejeux.com will not be allowed to gamble more than $10,000 per week.
So if everything goes according to plan and the site launch goes ahead without a hitch or a glitch, online gambling Quebecians can expect an early Christmas gift this year. Although currently players in the province can access a multitude of offshore online gambling sites, espacejeux.com will be the first sanctioned by the government.
This means it will cater specifically to online gamblers in the province and - in theory - be in a better position to look out for the interests of Quebec players than its offshore counterparts. In addition, the website is expected to generate millions of dollars in taxes, which will obviously greatly benefit the province.
Loto Quebec CEO, Alain Cousineau, has said that his goal is for espacejeux.com to generate over $50 million per annum, obviously with a view of increasing that figure over time.
Unlike the United States and other anti-online gambling countries, territories and provinces, the government of Quebec has realized that online gambling is not going anywhere, and instead of banning it and forcing players 'underground', it makes more sense to regulate it in order to make it safer and more productive for all.
Viva Quebec! Via espacejeux.com!
 | Posted by Anton Johan at 11:50 on 22 November 2010 |
 | This post has been tagged in the following categories: Casinos |
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