The introduction of an online casino is still pretty much a possibility, says Nova Scotia’s Finance Minister Allan MacMaster. In a recent interview, the minister said that he has not yet made a final decision on the matter, but it could happen in the near future. According to him, even if the government proceeds with the digital casino, there will be plenty of issues to consider first.
Back in February, the former Liberal government sanctioned a move for the introduction of such a digital casino for the province, which would be overseen by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation. In the summer of 2020, the Crown agency launched a similar digital casino in New Brunswick, and the corporation’s intent is to have a digital gaming platform for all four Atlantic provinces.
Currently Not on the Agenda
According to Finance Minister MacMaster, the new government has been dealing with other topics ever since coming into power at the end of August. He believes that the government would need more time to fully assess the matter of an online casino in Nova Scotia and its potential pros and cons before greenlighting such a project.
Mr. MacMaster has also said that gambling is a sector that brings tons of revenue for the province annually and a provincially regulated online platform could turn out to be a great new source of funds. According to him, if the online portal could come with features that other sites cannot offer, as it can provide more protections for people going through tough periods.
However, the finance minister also has some concerns about gaming in general and not just the online gaming portal. In his words, with gambling there are always concerns about whether would there be protections and who is going to provide them if it is government regulated. The Crown assured that there will be enough protections in place to ensure the safest gaming environment for players.
February Approval
Back in February, the former Liberal government cleared the way for Nova Scotia’s digitalization of gaming offering and the launch of an online casino by the ALC for the province. Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation’s spokesperson Jillian Moore shared that such an online initiative would cost the province around CA$3.1 million, as the cost would be split between all provinces that the platform would be launched for.
However, the timing of the online casino faced a serious local backlash as the recently launched online casino for New Brunswick had some sizeable betting options. Many were concerned that with the closure at the time of land-based gaming facilities, gaming enthusiasts would have much more free time on their hands while staying and home and that could lead to some significant problems for many households.
Prince Edward Island Not Keen as Well
Many locals and officials of Prince Edward Island are also not too excited about the possibility of an online casino. One of the opponents of the idea was psychology professor David Hodgins from the University of Calgary, who said the introduction of such a casino to take players off of offshore platforms may not be the best idea as it could aggravate the conditions of many gamblers who are already experience problems while wagering.
Source: Gorman, Michael “N.S. government still assessing possibility of online casino”, CBC, October 21, 2021
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