New Brunswick introduces bill to regulate online live casino games

Legislation has been brought forward in New Brunswick to permit and oversee live casino gaming within the Canadian province. A bill was tabled in the legislative assembly after the Atlantic Lottery Corporation put forward a proposal, and it aims to update the Gaming Control Act. Under the proposed law, the government would gain the power to make regulations covering live casino gaming conducted online. The bill had its first reading on Tuesday, and regulations for live casino are to be introduced at a later date.

Under the law as it stands, the province cannot make rules for live casino games, a form of gaming the Atlantic Lottery is seeking to provide. The bill would also give the government a way to react faster when gaming activities shift, the source states.

Public Safety Minister Robert Gauvin said that "Reviewing and updating legislation is an important part of keeping New Brunswickers safe." He went on to say that legislation has to keep pace as gaming evolves, so that games stay regulated and responsible and rules remain effective and clear. Gauvin also said live casinos are growing in popularity as online offerings become more varied, and that "Regulating these types of games will provide a safer alternative to unregulated offerings in the province."

Finance and Treasury Board Minister René Legacy, who sponsored the bill, said that "Modernizing the Gaming Control Act is about keeping up with how gaming is changing." In his view, the changes mean new gaming options will be developed responsibly and will keep meeting what players need in a safe and regulated way.

Ownership of the Atlantic Lottery is shared by the governments of the four Atlantic provinces – New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador – and the organisation has its headquarters in Moncton, New Brunswick.