Atlantic Lottery reports $492.1m profit for 2025/26

Atlantic Lottery Corporation returned net profit of CAD492.1m to the four Atlantic provinces in its 2025/26 financial year, the company said. The provincial lottery operator reported revenue of CAD889.6m for the year, a marginal decline on the prior year period.

“Atlantic Lottery was created to benefit the people and places of Atlantic Canada, and that purpose continues to guide us 50 years later”

Destination revenue dropped by CAD20.4m. The company put this mainly down to economic pressures and a continuing move of players toward online gaming platforms. Retail lottery revenue was CAD10.4m lower, as less favourable jackpots and shifting conditions in retail settings weighed on results. iLottery partly made up for these declines, adding CAD27.9m in revenue as players kept moving to online channels and the company kept investing in its digital platform.

Direct expenses were slightly higher at CAD162.2m. Operating and administrative expenses rose 2% to CAD141.0m, capital-related costs increased 9% to CAD30.1m, and other expenses and distributions fell 2% to CAD64.1m. Net profit for the year decreased 1% to CAD492.1m, comprising CAD133.2m from the Retail line of business, CAD225m from Destination and CAD133.8m from iLottery. iLottery profit increased 15.4%.

By province, CAD164.5m was returned to Nova Scotia, CAD152.8m to Newfoundland and Labrador, CAD148.9m to New Brunswick and CAD25.8m to Prince Edward Island. Atlantic Lottery awarded CAD455.7m in prizes during the year, down CAD5.5m on the previous year, and paid out 1,612 prizes of CAD10,000 or more, up from 1,343 major winners a year earlier.

In 2025/26 the operator lifted its share of regional online betting and gaming activity to 35%, compared with 34% a year earlier. Under its PlayWise initiative, the company reported that more than 27.5% of its online players had set at least one discretionary healthy play limit. Atlantic Lottery said this beat its corporate target and was more than double the industry standard.

Dallas McCready, the operator's president and chief executive, said the company was celebrating 50 years and that the purpose behind its founding still guides it. He pointed to illegal online gambling operators as a source of disruption, saying their growth has changed the competitive landscape. According to McCready, these operators pull significant gaming spending out of the region, add nothing to provincial revenues there, and do not face the healthy play and consumer protection rules that apply to Atlantic Lottery. He said the company is acting decisively to compete while still protecting players and maximising returns for Atlantic Canadians.

Since its establishment in 1976, Atlantic Lottery said it has returned nearly CAD13.4bn in profit to the Atlantic provinces, awarded CAD13bn in prizes and provided more than CAD4.6bn in retailer commissions. McCready said the operator's focus remains on providing a legal, government-regulated experience for Atlantic Canadians, citing its commitment to healthy play, local sponsorships and the profit it returns to the region.