Online Gambling in New Brunswick: Laws and Regulations
New Brunswick is a picturesque Canadian province bordering the Atlantic coast and one that has the shortest gambling history in all of Canada when it comes to legal forms of gambling.
The ultimate regulation and legislation concerning gambling and all forms of online gaming in New Brunswick and entire Canada is the Criminal Code. Under its statute, specifically section 207, all provinces and territories are entitled to conduct and manage lottery schemes and gaming on their own accord.
New Brunswick is one of the most recent provinces to take full advantage of the Act and legalize all forms of casino gaming, video lottery, lottery, charitable gaming, and harness racing under its 2008 Gaming Control Act.
In this article, we will explore these legal forms of gambling, the laws and regulatory bodies, and focus mainly on online gaming, its legality and options.
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Gambling Laws in New Brunswick — Historical Overview
All forms of gambling in New Brunswick are governed by provisions from Canada’s Criminal Code and New Brunswick’s Gaming Control Act. Before the enactment of this latest legislation that legalized and regulated all forms of gambling, New Brunswick had the 1976 New Brunswick Lotteries Act in power. Under the Lottery Act, all lottery schemes were organized, conducted, and regulated by the Lotteries Commission of New Brunswick, a former crown company in charge of it all.
However, the local government publicly proclaimed the shift in responsible gaming policy and announced new regulations in 2007. The aim of these regulations was reforming the lottery, charitable gaming, and the authorization of casino gaming. As a result, New Brunswick formed the Gaming Control Act in 2008.
Under this Act, the Lotteries Commission was split into two separate entities: the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation (NBLGC) and The Gaming, Liquor and Security Licensing Branch.
The NBLGC is in charge of the management of all provincial gaming, while the regulation, control, and licensing operators are the prerogative of The Gaming, Liquor and Security Licensing Branch.
The lottery management section of the former Lotteries Commission of New Brunswick was transferred to a crown company founded by four different Atlantic coastline Canadian states and their gaming agencies: New Brunswick (New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation), Nova Scotia (Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation), Prince Edward Island (Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission), and Province of Newfoundland and Labrador (Province of Newfoundland and Labrador). This new company, called the Atlantic Lottery, is in charge of managing and organizing lottery games and video lottery machines.
What Forms of Gambling Are Legal in New Brunswick?
Under the laws applicable in New Brunswick, most forms of gambling are legal if conducted by the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation (NBLGC) crown company. These forms are as follows:
- Casino Gaming: Casino gaming is entirely legal in New Brunswick. There are two available land-based casinos in New Brunswick — Casino New Brunswick, established in 2010, and Grey Rock Casino, established in 2015. Both of these casinos offer hundreds, if not thousands, of slots, poker, blackjack, roulette, and other table games. All visitors must be 19 or more to enter.
- Video Lottery Machines: Video Lottery machines can be considered modified slot machines. The difference is that, in these games, you bet on the outcome of a video slot game connected to a centralized server. Although the results of games are entirely random, the Atlantic Lottery — the company that manages VLTs — structures the amounts of jackpots and payout percentages. The average payout is around 90%.
- Lottery: Lottery has been around in New Brunswick since 1976. Now, the Atlantic Lottery is solely in charge of providing lottery games such as Scratch’N Win, 6/49, Lotto Max, and many others available to people in New Brunswick and ten other provinces.
- Harness Racing: Harness racing can trace its roots back to the 19th century New Brunswick. It is regulated and governed by the Maritime Provinces Harness Racing Commission that organizes harness racing on three racetracks in New Brunswick: Fredericton (Fredericton Raceway), Saint John (Exhibition Park Raceway) and Woodstock (Woodstock Driving Club). The only form of betting on harness racing is pari-mutuel betting.
- Charitable Gaming: Charitable gaming is a licensed and regulated form of gambling in New Brunswick and overseen by the Gaming, Liquor and Security Licensing Branch. Charitable organizations and religious groups can obtain a licence to conduct bingo draws, raffles, and more.
Is Online Gambling Allowed in New Brunswick? What about Offshore Casinos?
When it comes to online gambling, the situation gets a bit trickier. Namely, under the New Brunswick and Canadian laws, online gambling is the form of online casinos that is not legal, per se. The Canadian Criminal Code prohibits all foreign operators from advertising and organizing their games in Canada, as they are not registered on Canadian soil. The only form of online gambling you can access is the online lottery draws and sports betting by the Atlantic Lottery.
So, although foreign casinos are not welcome, that doesn’t mean Canadians can’t access them. No law or legislation prohibits Canadians from New Brunswick from accessing offshore casinos and betting sites. They might not comply with Canadian regulations, but that doesn’t mean they are not regulated and licensed. Most of them hold licenses from reputable gaming jurisdiction agencies, like the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, and Curacao e-Gaming.
The Atlantic Lottery pointed out that players from the Canadian Atlantic coast spend millions on offshore casinos, and that money is not taxable. Playing in offshore casinos and winning jackpots won’t induce any taxes in Canada, which, as the Atlantic Lottery pointed out, could considerably replenish the Canadian budgets.
They suggest that New Brunswick and other provinces should legalize and organize online gambling to take full advantage of its financial potential.
In the meantime, players from New Brunswick can freely access offshore casinos and betting sites and enjoy thousands of casino games, sports betting, lotteries, and many other games without any fear of legal persecution.
Things to Look For When Choosing an Offshore Online Casino
Even though you can play in offshore casinos freely, that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down. There are some essential tenets you need to focus on when choosing the best offshore online casino.
- Legality, Security and Fairness: Security and fairness are of paramount importance when choosing an offshore casino. It would be best if you always went for the ones holding licenses from reputable sources, like the UKCG, MGA, Curacao, Alderney, and so on. Moreover, if a casino has a stamp of approval by independent auditing agencies like eCOGRA or iTechLabs, you can rest assured knowing the RNG machines are indeed random.
- Bonuses and Promotions: Everyone would like to maximize on their deposits, or even better, get some no deposit bonuses when joining a casino. Make sure to do a bit of research and see which casinos offer welcome rewards, cashback, reload bonuses, and other incentives. This feature is a deal maker or a deal-breaker for many players.
- Customer Support: One should never underestimate the importance of excellent customer support. Whenever an issue comes up, be it legal or technical, a reliable and knowledgeable customer support team is what you need. Casinos that offer 24/7 customer support via Live Chat are usually ranked highly by many experienced players, and could be the choice for you.
FAQs
You are not required to pay any taxes on your winnings generated in offshore casinos.
Sports betting is allowed in New Brunswick if conducted by the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation (NBLGC) or the Atlantic Lottery.
Players from New Brunswick are accepted and welcome in offshore casinos and can take full advantage of their bonuses and promotions.
All New Brunswick residents who wish to partake in gambling activities must be aged 19 or more.
You can legally gamble online only on games provided by the Atlantic Lottery. However, no law would strictly prohibit you from accessing offshore online casinos.
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