Future looking bright for Canada’s largest casino firm.
The executive board members of Great Canadian Gaming (GCG) are
putting on their shades after last week’s gleaming revenue report
highlighted excellent second quarter results with a brilliant outlook
for the next half of 2019. Revenues and shares were up, divestments
and projects were completed, and new partnerships were forged.
GCG Chief Executive Officer Rod Baker is particularly pleased with
the company’s performance over the last three months ending June 30,
2019, and is looking forward to a very bright future – especially
in Ontario, where a powerful focus is resulting in the most growth.
He believes its the company’s “disciplined approach” to
fortifying GCG’s infrastructure with strategic expenditures that’s
driving the firm ahead at such a phenomenal pace.
Revenues Soar for Canada’s Largest Casino Firm
In the financial highlights segment of last Tuesday’s GCG second
quarter (Q2) 2019 earnings conference
call, Baker noted a 20% increase in revenue, rising from
$295.2 million in Q2-18 to $354.4 million in Q2-19. He attributed the
boost in revenue to a variety of rationale:
One extra month of operations at properties in the company’s West
GTA Gaming Bundle, compare to the same time period last year.
Additional revenue from newly introduced table games at Woodbine
Casino.
Additional revenue from expanded gaming opportunities at Elements
Casino Mohawk.
Heightened revenue from East Gaming Bundle following grand openings
of Shorelines Casino Peterborough (Oct. 15, 2018) and Shorelines
Slots at Kwartha Downs (Dec. 19, 2018).
GCG’s expenditure budget for the Ontario Gaming Bundle was nearly
doubled year over year from $12.7 million to $23.6 million in Q2-19.
Revenue also rose in the British Columbia market, but the increase
was attributed primarily to a single occurrence – a labour
disruption at Hard Rock Casino Vancouver “that resulted in limited
gaming and hospitality offerings for a portion of 2018.”
Shareholders earnings were a topic of much rejoicing during the
conference call. GCG’s investors experienced net earnings of $48
million ($0.81 per common share) during the second quarter, an
increase of $7.4 million ($0.15 per common share) YoY.
H2-19 Strategy: Spend Money to Make Money
“2019 is a year of significant capital expenditures as we build our
infrastructure in Ontario to execute our strategic plan,” explained
CEO Baker. “We have already accomplished several major milestones
in the first half of the year including the new building addition at
Great Blue Heron Casino and the gaming expansion at Elements Casino
Mohawk. For the remainder of 2019, we continue to work towards
completing several developments in Ontario, particularly at Elements
Casino Flamboro and Elements Casino Grand River, which will include
expanded gaming and new food and beverage offerings that we expect to
complete by the end of 2019.”
Baker also spoke of the two-phase opening of Pickering Casino Resort,
the first of which is scheduled to occur in Q1-20. The first phase
will include gaming and dining venues. The timeline for the second
phase has yet to be determined, but it will include “premium
nongaming amenities”, like a hotel, retail stores, entertainment
venue and additional dining options.
In closing, Baker credited the company’s recent and ongoing success
to its “disciplined approach to use of capital opportunities and to
explore opportunities that will improve our business and increase
value to our shareholders.”
Court of
Appeals decides GotSkill’s skill-based games are gambling, therefore
illegal in Ontario.
Games of skill versus games of chance – is there really that much
of a difference? Ontario Superior Court Justice Andras Schreck
thought so last year. Turns out, he was wrong. The Court
of Appeals overturned his decision this week regarding a
collection of popular skill-based gaming cabinets from the company
GotSkill.
The new decision is not being taken lightly – not by the executives
at GotSkill, nor the owners of more than two hundred local bars and
clubs where the games were installed. Despite their outrage, there’s
absolutely nothing that can be done, except for removing the now
illegal games, of course. According tot he appellate court’s
decision, GotSkill has no grounds to appeal this decision, making it
unquestionably final.
GotSkill’s Skill-Based Games are Gambling in Ontario
If you’re one of the countless fans of GotSkill’s gaming cabinets,
present throughout locations all over the province, don’t be
surprised if these games are missing from your favorite bar or
restaurant the next time you visit. Following a legal battle that’s
been ongoing for more
than a year now, the machines have been declared to be in
violation of Ontario’s gaming laws.
According to the Court of Appeals, Justice Schrek made one critical
error in his evaluation of the company’s SkillBet cabinets last year.
He had determined that players of superior skill would be capable of
beating the game, winning more money from the games then they paid to
play them. Based on this assumption, he decided that they did not
fall under the definition of a game of chance, therefore were
not illegal.
The Appellate Court disagreed with this theory based on the fact that
only those of exceptional skill could consistently beat the games.
The average player, on the other hand, would be reliant more on
chance than skill to win, thus losing more than they win. Therefore,
the amusements could only be defined as games of chance.
When the appeal was filed earlier this year, GotSkill was confident
that another ruling would go in their favor. They weren’t the only
ones, either. Many more bars chose to install the skill-based gaming
cabinets, while some retailers who already offered the games upped
their number of installments by 2-3 times. You can imagine their
disappointment now, following an unimagined outcome.
Despite its former confidence, GotSkill did state months ago that if
the appeal did not return a decision in their favor, it would result
in an abundance of job losses for the company. So far, there’s been
no word from corporate as their heads are surely still reeling from
the news.
Furthermore, the courts have not issued a timeline for removal of the
skill-based games from local area bars and clubs. It’s safe to assume
the machines will be made inoperable before the month is out.
AGCO Won’t Tolerate Illegal Gambling in Ontario
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), which
filed the appeal back in January, is pleased with this latest turn of
events. They feel that their rules in regards to gambling in Ontario
are very strict, and must not be violated lest the public well-being
be put at risk.
AGCO regulations expressly prohibit gambling in bars and restaurants.
Gambling is confined to commercial casinos and charitable gaming
venues, all of which must obtain authorization from the Ontario
Lottery and Gaming Corp (OLG). Only First Nations casinos may
operate without an OLG license, and even they must abide by certain
restrictions.
Canada iGaming firm The Stars Group is teaming with New York’s Akwesane Mohawk Casino for live and online sports betting; online poker to follow?
The legalization of sports betting in New York has caused quite a
stir, not just in the Empire State, but across the border into
Ontario and Quebec, Canada. New York happens to have a few tribal
casinos near its borders, granting rather convenient access for
Canadian sports fans to enter the country and place all the wagers
their hearts desire.
Here in Canada, it’s not illegal to bet on sports, but it is highly
restrictive. We are forced to make bets with long odds – parlays,
they’re called. Multiple picks, and they must all win, or the bet is
lost. For years, many Canadians have trusted offshore gambling
websites to place the bets they really want. But now – or rather,
very soon – New York will present the same single event betting
opportunities we crave, live and in person.
Oddly enough, it’s one of our own who will operate the first
sportsbook across the St. Lawrence River. The Stars Group
(TSG, formerly Amaya Inc.) of Toronto have inked a deal with the
Akwesane Mohawk Casino Resort to run the property’s upcoming
sports betting business.
Canada iGaming Firm TSG Signs with NY’s Akwesane
Mohawk Casino
TSG’s benchmark contract gives the Canadian firm a foothold in the
budding iGaming business of New York. The group’s contract gives them
operational rights over an online sportsbook for the property, and
will also see them performing support services for the casino’s
retail sportsbook.
TSG’s newly appointed CEO, Robin Chhabra, comments:
“We are excited to announce this agreement with Mohawk, which further strengthens our market access as we work to build our Fox Bet business into one of the leaders in the emerging U.S. online betting and gaming market.”
The terms of the agreements are extensive, giving Stars Group the
right to launch its online poker and online casino offerings as well,
if and when New York takes the next step to legalize those iGaming
activities. TSG is, of course, the owner of PokerStars, the world’s
largest online poker room. And if more casinos sign sportsbook
contracts with major operators like TSG, maybe it will help motivate
New York legislators to move in that direction, based on the success
in neighboring New Jersey, if nothing else.
At this point, it’s been widely speculated that New York will become
the fifth US state to regulate online poker. No doubt Stars Group is
banking on it, hoping to tap into yet another lucrative market on US
soil. For the time being, their focusing on the growth of their US
sports offers via another recent partnership with Fox Sports,
which has the two brands collaborating on the production of Fox
Bet.
PokerStars Events Getting Closer to Home?
It’s worth noting that single-event bets aren’t the only thing off
limits to Canadian players. PokerStars is another area of legal
contention in the Great White North. While the operator claims to
accept Canadian customers, it’s no secret that their doing so teeters
of the border of unlawful internet gambling.
Canada’s iGaming laws are known to be far less restrictive than our
neighbors to the south. The only thing we must abide by is the law
that states no entity with a physical presence in Canada may provide
gambling services without a provincial license to do so.
With Toronto being home to TSG headquarters, and having no license
from any provincial regulator in the country, Canadian players would
be wise to keep their distance from the online poker room. But what
about PokerStars Live? If the New York casino were to open a live
branded poker room so close to the border, it could open the flood
gates for Canadian poker pros to hit up new PokerStars sponsored
events a lot closer to home. It’s all speculation for now, but I have
no doubt the gears are turning in the minds of TSG executives.
OLG “closing the gender gap” in live, online gaming technology.
Women have enjoyed a strong presence
in the work force for more than half a century. Their roles, however,
have yet to catch up to that of men, especially when it comes to
higher positions of power, or more tech savvy roles. It’s a
recognizable problem, and one that’s receiving more attention in the
Canadian business world.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming
Corporation (OLG) has been taking a closer look at gender equality in
recent years. The province’s gambling regulator mapped a resolution,
putting the plan into effect in 2018. Now, 12 months into the
project, their efforts are proving fruitful.
Women in Live and Online Gaming Technology
In April 2018, OLG began a new
movement they termed the Gender Strategy. Prior to the project, the
corporation’s 2017 employee dockets revealed only 22% of their
technology department was staffed by females. Over the next year, a
strong focus was put on ensuring that women had equal employment
opportunities within the field.
Slowly but surely, the the gender
gap began visibly shrinking, and by April 2019, 29% of the technology
department was staffed by female employees. An increase of 7% may not
seem like a huge difference, but in the grand the scheme of things,
it puts OLG’s tech staff 5% ahead of the national average in
employing women.
Even more impressive is OLG’s
managerial staff numbers. On the senior leadership level, the number
of women in higher positions rose 14%. Having made such an impressive
leap in gender equality, OLG was the obvious choice as presenting
sponsor of the 2019 #movethedial
stories event, held last month in Toronto.
Inspirational Commentary of OLG’s Executive Women
Two of OLG’s leading ladies, Wai
Yu and Jessica Ylanko, spoke at the event. Both were
enthusiastic about sharing
their valuable experiences with the corporation over the
years.
Ms. Yu was promoted to Senior Vice
President, and Chief Digital, Marketing and Customer Experience at
OLG, in August of last year. It might be the Gender Strategy program
that helped get her recognized, but it was her long-term expertise
that earned her the position. She spent 6 years as Board Director of
the Information Technology Association of Canada (2010-2016), and
another as Chairman of that Board (2017), before moving into her
current role at OLG.
“As an industry facing shifting demographics and advances in technology, OLG is focused on transforming how it engages with customers… Transformation is hard, especially in tech, but we shouldn’t be afraid of the challenge. I’m excited to help OLG become the customer centric, digital enterprise it wants to be in the future.”
Ms Ylanko, a self-described
‘strategic thinker in the digital space’, has spent more than
two year’s as OLG’s Digital Marketing Manager. After receiving a B.A.
In Communications and Media (2008-12) and a Post Graduate Degree in
Advertising (2012-13), she began working for OLG as an Account
Coordinator in 2014, Account Manager in 2015, and transitioned to
Account and Project Manager in 2016, leading up to her current
position.
“Its been fantastic working at an organization where it’s not unusual for me to work on a project with an all-female team. The trust and support we get from our leaders have allowed us to innovate in ways that our customers are really responding to.”
Sports wagering lobbyist to give Canada’s politicians an earful.
The push to legalize sports betting in Canada rages on this week as the region’s premier sports news authority, theScore, is taking matters into their own hands. The Toronto-based company has hired a professional government relations expert to lobby on behalf of its company and countless sports fans across the nation.
Making the rounds at federal and provincial government hearings is
one way to get your message out. Hiring a professional lobbyist who’s
spent years navigating that complex environment is the better way.
Such experts know how to find a champion for the cause, capable of
finding ways to root the issues in their political priorities.
theScore Hires Professional Sports Wagering
Lobbyist
Executive members of sports media firm didn’t have to go far to find
the best man for the job. Also nestled in the heart of Toronto is
Pathway Group, headed by co-founder and President Peter
Curtis. He has decades of experience working with and within all
levels of government, and is beyond qualified for the role.
Mr. Curtis’s experience in politics speaks for itself, from his
teenage years when he walked into a campaign office in Dundas for the
first time, to his current position of Executive Vice President of
the Ontario Liberal Party.
Last week, Mr. Curtis made his latest mission quite clear. On behalf
of theScore, the government relations aficionado filed
a registration with the federal Office of the Commissioner
of Lobbying. The brief filing declares his intention of “lobbying
(to) legalize sports betting”, and pin-points his political targets
as Members of Parliament and the Prime Minister’s office.
Capitalizing on NA’s Love for Pro Sports Betting
theScore has spent the last year attempting to capitalize on North
America’s desire to bet on sports in a legal capacity. Months from
now, the company plans to become the first media brand to launch its
own online sportsbook, based out of New Jersey, USA. No doubt the
firm would like to be able to follow that same path in its home base
of Canada.
Originally founded in 1994 as Scorescope, the company started
out as an alphanumeric scrolling ticker that displayed sports scores
during regularly scheduled television shows, even during commercials.
It was an enormously successful brand that evolved into the national,
24-hour Headline Sports channel in 1997, and theScore
Television Network in 2000. Then in 2012, Rogers bought
out the parent company, rebranding it Sportsnet 360.
That same year, John S. Levy founded theScore Inc.,
essentially relaunching the brand under its own representation. It’s
since become a primary source of sports media in Canada, and a prime
candidate for capitalizing on what is sure to become an extremely
lucrative market, if and when Canada legalizes sports wagering.
Last month, Ontario Finance Minister Vic Fedeli wrote a now-famous
letter to his federal counterpart, Bill Morneau. Within, he called
“single event sports wagering…one of the fastest growing
categories of gambling entertainment.” adding a glaring statistic
that “90 per cent of the sports dollars wagered in Nevada
sportsbooks are on single events.”
This gave Ontario yet another nudge, leading to its decision to
“establish a competitive market for online gambling” within the
2019 budget proposal; one that includes hopes for legal single-event
betting. The response from theScore came swift and adamant.
“theScore has always embraced the fact that sports betting is part
of the overall fan experience,” said founder and CEO John Levy. “It
is finally time for jurisdictions across Canada to adopt common sense
sports betting regulation.”
At last, Gateway pins down a location for Ontario’s newest casino in Wasaga Beach.
It’s
been a full year since Gateway Casinos & Entertainment won
the bid to operate the ‘Central Gaming Bundle‘ of the Ontario
Lottery and Gaming Corp (OLG). As the region’s commercial casino
service provider, Gateway earned the day-to-day managerial rights of
one of Ontario’s most popular gambling establishments, Casino
Rama Resort, as well as the OLG Slots at Georgian
Downs. Moreover, the company was awarded responsibility for
constructing a new casino and entertainment complex in the community
of either Collingwood or Wasaga Beach .
It wasn’t long before Gateway decided on Wasaga Beach as the host municipality for the upcoming facility. However, the debate over where to build the casino has been raging for months. Finally, in a press release issued just hours ago, Gateway has announced the location of its upcoming Wasaga Beach casino.
Ontario’s Newest Casino Coming to Wasaga Beach
Roundabout
Gateway Casinos has submitted a proposal requesting permission to build the new gaming and entertainment facility on a 7.5-acre parcel of land in Wasaga Beach’s west end, flanking the Mosley Street roundabout at Lyons Court and Beachwood Road. Local and provincial officials will be looking over the proposal this week.
There’s little doubt that the necessary approvals will come swiftly, at which point Gateway can complete the acquisition of the plot and begin hiring crews for the construction phase of the property. The proposed casino would feature a range of slot machines and table games, along with a host of other amenities and attractions for guests.
No
specifics are being leaked just yet on what the site will look like.
The overall size and scope of the development will be discussed in
the coming weeks, detailing the range of new employment
opportunities, plans for food and beverage amenities, and other local
economic investments. No doubt Gateway will put its stamp on the
community with its signature MATCH Eatery & Public House
and The Buffet dining options.
Assuming
provincial and municipal approvals are met in a timely fashion,
construction of the new casino – likely to be named Gateway
Wasaga Beach – is expected to begin sometime this spring.
Town Leader Praises Efforts for New Wasaga Beach
Casino
None
were more pleased by the announcement than Nina Bifolchi, Mayor of
Wasaga Beach. On behalf of the community, she welcomed Gateway to the
area with open arms and emphatic praise.
“We
are thrilled that Gateway has settled on a site that will best meet
its business needs and we look forward to the construction phase
starting,” said Mayor Bifolchi. “We know that Gateway has a
tremendous track record in its industry, they are truly leaders, and
we look forward to a strong and positive relationship with them in
Wasaga Beach.”
Keith
Andrews is the Senior VP and Managing Director for Gateway Casinos
Ontario. He offered the enthusiastic sentiments of his company in a
brief statement.
“We
are very pleased to announce that we expect to soon be able to move
forward with our plans to build an exciting new casino and
entertainment destination in the Town of Wasaga Beach,” he said.
“We look forward to receiving all the necessary provincial and
municipal approvals and concluding the land transaction so we can
start construction as quickly as possible.”
Victims file class action lawsuit in Casino Rama hack.
While British
Columbia continues to deal with its never-ending casino
money-laundering scandal, Ontarians are still reeling from a casino
hacking incident that resulted in the sensitive personal and
financial information of nearly 11,000 individuals being publicly
posted on the world wide web for all duplicitous eyes to see. The
incident occurred at one of Ontario’s most popular gambling
establishments, leaving players, staff members and even vendors
fearing for the security of their identities.
The hacking
of Casino Rama took place back in November of 2016. Some
perceived that Casino Rama was doing the right and ethical thing –
being a “good corporate citizen” – by informing tens of
thousands of people that their information may have been compromised.
For many of the casino’s employees, patrons and vendors, however,
sympathy was far from their mind. They immediately contacted the
legal team of Charney Lawyers, who initiated a class
action lawsuit just three days after the incident.
The Casino Rama Hack
On November 4,
2016, Casino Rama was informed that it had suffered a grievous breach
in security. Its internal computer network had been hacked,
compromising the names, addresses, income and employment information,
credit files, gambling losses and other details of their customers,
employees, and vendors.
The casino
reported the incident to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. Then,
Casino Rama sent out a mass email to all customers, staff and vendors
informing them of the situation; that their sensitive information may
have been compromised, and that they’re working with the OPP, RCMP
and OLG to rectify the matter.
On November 11,
2016, the hacker made good on his threat to post the sensitive
information on a public website. Approximately 10,900 individuals
were victimized in the cyberattack. The hacker posted a total of 4.5
gigabytes worth of data, and threatened to publish a further 150
gigabytes of data.
New Evidence Leads Request for Class Action
Extension
The case had
been trudging along ever-so-slowly up until late January 2019, when
Ontario’s Privacy Commissioner released the findings of its
investigation into the matter. The investigator’s report concluded
that:
“[Casino Rama] did not have reasonable security measures in place to prevent unauthorized access to records of personal information.”
In light of this
new “evidence”, the plaintiff’s legal team is now seeking to
expand
the class action to as many as 200,000 victims, seeking $60
million in damages. Lead attorney, Ted Charney, was in court on
Thursday pleading the case. He argued that the victims go far beyond
those impacted by the publication of sensitive data; that past and
present employees, vendors and patrons, including those in the
voluntary self-exclusion program, should be included as well.
“Thank
goodness we now have the commissioner’s report,” Charney told the
court. “We have evidence now that a substantial number of patrons
had data on the two servers. There’s some basis in fact that their
information wasn’t adequately protected.”
Defense Paints Casino Rama as “Good Corporate
Citizen”
Lead defense
attorney Cathy Beagan-Flood contends that the plaintiff’s proposed
extension to the class is far too broad; that only 10,000-11,000 were
impacted, and therefore should be included. She also disputes the
validity of the Ontario privacy commissioner’s report, stating:
“The (privacy commissioner) did not have all of the information. The evidence is that the non-Windows servers would not have been vulnerable.”
Beagan-Flood
contends that the information of many more patrons and employees were
stored on non-Windows based systems that were not vulnerable to the
cyberattack. She goes on to paint Casino Rama as a “good corporate
citizen” that should not be punished for making the quick and
ethical decision to send out emails to tens of thousands of people,
warning them they may have been effected by the Casino Rama hack.
Superior Court
Justice Edward Belobaba expects to deliver a decision on the motion
to extend the class action in May.
Legal challenge puts new casino in Sudbury on ice.
The people of Greater Sudbury, Ontario have been promised a fantastic new community gathering space to be called the Kingsway Entertainment District. Funding for the project is coming from Gateway Casinos and Entertainment, estimated to cost $55.5 million. With Gateway at the helm, it would, of course, include a new gambling facility, to be called Starlight Casino Sudbury.
Some love the idea. Some despise it. Even Sudbury City Council has shown mixed feeling for the concept. But that didn’t stop them from voting in favor of granting initial municipal approval for the project. And now, following a legal challenge from adverse parts of the community, even Gateway admits the new casino “may not be completed…at all”.
Gateway Displays Doubt for New Casino in Sudbury
On November 20, 2018, Gateway Casinos filed documentation with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) regarding many of its Ontario gaming properties. Within that near-500-page document (found on page 12) is an assessment of Sudbury Downs Slots; the property Gateway gained in its $79,349,000 acquisition of Ontario’s Northern Gaming Bundle in December 2016, and the very one it plans to relocate in its construction of the Kingsway Entertainment District.
The current Sudbury Downs Slots facility is attached to the Sudbury Downs racetrack in Chelmsford, 23km northwest of downtown Sudbury. Its 33,000sq.ft. gaming floor is home to 427 slot machines. Gateway’s lease on the property is good through March 31, 2020—right about the time the company had hoped to complete construction and hold the grand opening of the new casino property on the Kingsway on Greater Sudbury.
Now, it seems the whole process is guaranteed to be delayed. Whether the delay is short-term or long-term, temporary or permanent, is yet to be decided.
Timeline for Starlight Casino Sudbury Indeterminable
In its SEC filing, Gateway notes that, regarding the “initial municipal approval for the relocation” of Sudbury Downs Slots to the Kingsway location:
“…an appeal of that decision has been filed in the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal by certain individuals and community groups which, if successful, would delay the proposed relocation pending further appeals or court challenges.”
If all goes according to best-case scenario, the first tribunal hearing should occur sometime next summer, with a ruling to come in September 2019, “at the earliest”. That’s an at-best assessment, though. Tribunal hearings are always subject to potential extensions, delays, and subsequent challenges.
Gateway concludes in its risk factors for hopeful investors that a number of its Ontario casino properties –including the intended future home of Starlight Casino Sudbury—may suffer temporary, if not permanent, delays.
“The expansion, rebranding and/or relocation of the Cascades Casino Langley, Chances Mission, Dresden Raceway Slots, Point Edward Casino, Western Fair District London Slots, Sudbury Downs Slots, Hanover Raceway Slots and Gateway Innisfil may not be completed on a timely basis, on anticipated terms or at all.”
If the new casino in Sudbury does come to fruition, on time or not, the gaming floor would be a bit smaller at 32,000sq.ft. However, it would contain a wider variety of gambling amusements, upping the slot machines to 600 and throwing in a selection of 21 table games. The property would also offer visitors a steakhouse, buffet and sports bar.
Canada Online Sportsbooks & Casinos: One thing leads to another…
The largest, most populated provinces in Canada have recognized the need for a competitive, internet-based gambling market. British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec each offer their residents a safe and secure, home-grown online casino venue, complete with a wide range of gaming options. For Canadian casino fans, it’s more than enough. But what about those who also enjoy sports betting?
The argument has been circulating for years, but never so vigorously as it has since May of this year. That’s the month the US Supreme Court overturned a 26-year old law banning sports betting across most of the country.
Canadians are no longer content to play their Pro Line parlay tickets. They want good odds, on single event bets, and they know exactly where to get them. And while they’re at it, they’re taking advantage of other online gambling needs that they could have gotten right here in Canada. But why should they?
Best Canada Online Sportsbooks Aren’t in Canada
The law may not permit Canadians to bet on single sporting events here at home, but there’s no legal recourse for betting over the internet with internationally regulated sportsbooks. Logging onto these websites gives punters access to all the games they could ever desire to bet on, in all ways imaginable, and then some.
For years, a small margin of Canadian sports fans used offshore sportsbooks to place their bets. Now that it’s legal to do so for our neighbors to the south, the attraction is so much stronger. And with mobile gambling set to surpass traditional desktop betting, it’s more convenient than ever before, as well.
The end result is simple. With no good online sports betting in Canada, more and more people are accessing international betting sites than ever. But that’s only part of the problem. International sportsbooks aren’t just taking a toll on our Pro Line ticket sales. They’re detracting from the clientele at those provincially run online casinos our government officials spent so much time and money establishing.
One Thing Leads to Another…
So many of today’s premier online gambling websites are a multi-channel affair. Take Unibet for example. It’s a one-stop-shop for all your iGaming needs. There’s Unibet Sports, Unibet Casino, Unibet Poker, Unibet Bingo, etc., etc., etc. A lot of today’s major brands offer the same multi-channel set-up. When a Canadian joins one of these websites to gain access to good online sports betting odds, what’s to stop them from using the other verticals?
Think about it. Bob from Ontario could use Unibet Sports to bet on the Toronto Blue Jays, and then log into PlayOLG.com for his blackjack gaming, but why should he? Bob is a busy man. With Unibet, he could make a single deposit into a single account, then bet on both with just a few taps of his finger. Bob would also have access to larger deposit bonuses, bigger tournaments and a throng of additional promotions that home-grown operators simply can’t stack up to.
The only argument Canadian provinces can pose is that Bob should game with them, because his losses will end up in the provincial tax coffers. Bob doesn’t want to hear that. Bob wants to hear that. He doesn’t want to hear how his losing will benefit others. He wants to focus on winning. And with offshore online sportsbooks and casinos, his odds of winning are so much better.
We Need Good Online Sportsbooks in Canada
As you can see, the need for more liberal sports betting laws goes so much deeper than most of our government officials, and even regulatory bodies, realize. It’s not just sportsbook revenue we’re losing out on. It’s not just a mere fraction of Canadians taking advantage of offshore internet gambling websites.
One thing leads to another, and the problem will only get bigger. Instead of missing out on higher revenue, provinces are going to start losing revenue all across Canada. Online sportsbooks are what the people want, and until the government gives it to them, they’re going go out and get it—along with everything else they want to wager on—elsewhere.
Ultimate new user guide to online casino gambling in Canada.
Gambling is an extremely popular pastime in Canada. In 2000, right around the time internet casinos were starting to blossom, an international study revealed that 70% of Canadians participate in some form of gambling each year. With the rise of online and mobile gaming options, that number is sure to have increased.
Those of you seeking to venture into that realm surely have a lot of questions. Is it legal? Can I access offshore websites? Are there convenient banking methods, and are they secure? Today’s ultimate new user guide to Canada online casino gaming will answer these questions, and more.
Is Online Casino Gambling in Canada Legal?
Yes, it is. Gambling is legal in every province and territory of Canada. There are no specific laws that discriminate between land-based and online gambling. Therefore online casinos are perfectly legal, too.
There are two basic types of online casinos for Canadian players. There’s the provincially regulated variety, and the offshore variety. Only the provinces of British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec host provincial casino sites (plus online lottery in the Atlantic regions), and you must live within the respective province to access them. Offshore casinos accept players from various countries, with Canada typically included.
Are Offshore Online Casinos Legal?
Yes, they are. Despite the efforts of provinces to change that fact, there is no law preventing Canadians from accessing internationally regulated gambling websites. It is equally legal for an international gaming operator to accept Canadians, so long as they follow one express rule.
The Criminal Code determines what types of gambling can be legal. The only way an online casino would be illegal is if it has a physical presence in Canada, but does not acquire a provincial licence. By remaining offshore, and opening no offices on Canadian soil, no laws are being broken.
How Do Deposits and Withdrawals Work?
Most online casinos offer a wide range of deposit methods. Credit cards, debit cards, prepaid cards, online payment processors (EcoPayz, Neteller, Skrill, etc.), bank transfers, instant eChecks—these are all common options. The key is to pick the one that best suits your needs.
They are incredibly secure, as well. So long as you choose reputable gaming websites, and keep your own computer or mobile device secure, you have nothing to worry about.
Are Online Casino Winnings Taxed?
Typically no, Canadians do not pay taxes on any gambling winnings. The Canada Revenue Agency states, “an individual may be subject to tax on income derived from gambling itself, if the gambling activities constitute carrying on the business of gambling”.
Therefore, the only players who pay taxes are those that gamble ‘professionally’. If you gamble regularly, and make consistent profits from it, then you may be subject to taxation. But as a casual player, no.
Yes, usually. If you play provincially regulated Canada online casino games, all wagers are in Canadian Dollars. If you choose to play at internationally regulated websites, some of them do offer CA$ deposits and withdrawals. Be sure to skim over the banking options and payment details to see if it’s available.
The major benefit to online casino gambling in Canada’s own currency is the avoidance of foreign exchange rates. Although relatively inexpensive, currency exchange fees do add up over time, taking away from cash that should be part of your bankroll.
The people of Greater Sudbury, Ontario have been promised a fantastic new community gathering space to be called the Kingsway Entertainment District. Funding for the project is coming from Gateway Casinos and Entertainment, estimated to cost $55.5 million. With Gateway at the helm, it would, of course, include a new gambling facility, to be called Starlight Casino Sudbury.
The largest, most populated provinces in Canada have recognized the need for a competitive, internet-based gambling market. British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec each offer their residents a safe and secure, home-grown online casino venue, complete with a wide range of gaming options. For Canadian casino fans, it’s more than enough. But what about those who also enjoy sports betting?