Manitoba Province Launches Online Gambling Site
Canadian online gamblers were greeted with good news late last week after the government of the province of Manitoba announced that it would be rolling out legalized online casino games and sports betting options to local players.
Manitoba now joins two other provinces - Quebec and British Columbia - who offer government-run online gambling sites.
The new PlayNow.com site, which is based on the British Columbia Lottery Corporation's gaming platform by the same now, will welcome all Manitobans over the age of 18. It will offer them sports betting, poker and casino games such as slots, with bingo and online lotteries planned for later in 2013.
The President and Chief Executive of Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, Winston Hodgins said about the new Manitoba online gambling site: "We are pleased to offer Manitobans a reputable and safe online gambling options."
"Players can be confident in the extensive safety and security measures that are in place to protect their personal information, their bets and their deposits," he added.
Gambling Site to Support Manitoba Causes
The expansion of Manitoba's gambling options to the world of internet will have significantly positive effects for the province as a whole.
The government said that revenues will be reinvested into local communities. Fifteen percent of revenues will be directed to support provincial programming for Aboriginal sport and recreation, while the rest of the revenue will support other areas in Manitoba, including education, healthcare, social services and economic development.
At what seems to be an appeasement measure to anti-gambling sectors, the government also said that 3% of net income would be directed to the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, and 2% to the province's responsible gambling initiatives.
Pooling Gambling Players
The latest online gambling venture will see the provinces of Quebec, British Columbia and Manitoba share their player pools for some of the products to make these initiatives more financially worthwhile.
"PlayNow.com offers our customers some truly distinctive products, such as live poker that connects players from Manitoba, BC and Quebec," noted the Executive General Manager of eGaming at Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, Carolin Taubensee.
She added that Manitoba was confident that its residents would enjoy playing on this exciting site.
The BCLC PlayNow.com was the first North American lottery to launch an online gambling site, pioneering changes in the industry since 2004.
The site now offers casino, bingo, poker and sports betting to its players. Today, the platform boasts over 200,000 registered players and introduces games and products based mainly on customer demand.
