Online Casino Transfer: News - Liberalization for Canada

01/16/2010		Online Casino Style: News Liberalization for Canada - 1
Home History Games News Dictionary		The culture of online gambling could potentially see some change in the upcoming year, in Canada, according to recent reports from local media sources such as The Public Eye newspaper. While currently, the Canadian Criminal Code mandates that all online gambling operations must only be conducted through provincial governments, the call is getting louder to expand the reach of internet casinos to include private companies. Should the liberalization be seriously considered in North America, it would mean more money for the government from taxes, as bettors from the region already access offshore online casinos, looking for the best bets and bonuses. At the head of the fight is the Interactive Gaming Council, a trade association based out of Vancouver, and which was developed specifically to address the needs of the online gambling industry in Canada, and fight for operators’ rights with the government. Their ultimate goal is to open up the internet gambling industry in Canada to include strictly regulated offshore companies, like those established on the UK’s white-listed islands. They’ve been working since the third quarter in 2009 to see change, with no significant luck so far in motivating the politicians. Much of the battling is taking place in the British Columbia, where progress in the issue is more likely. Last year, the government owned and run British Columbia Lottery Corporation announced that they would expand their product offerings to include ‘casino-style games’ like blackjack, poker, and roulette. The promise has been fulfilled and gamblers are able to access the games though the lottery’s home page at PlayNow.com. But since then, it’s been quite on the home front, with John Kennedy Fitzgerald, the head and CEO for the Interactive Gaming Council promising to do whatever it takes to find secure, safe sites comparable to the government’s standards to open up to the private sector. "Like the B.C. Government, the IGC recognizes there are online gaming companies that operate out of poorly regulated jurisdictions,” said Fitzgerald. "However, IGC members are licensed and strictly regulated in jurisdictions like the Isle of Man, Gibraltar and Alderney, which are recognized by the United Kingdom as having the highest regulatory standards in the world. Some of these jurisdictions have been involved with regulating online gaming for nearly a decade." to be continued in Liberalization for Canada - 2

01/16/2010

Online Casino Style: News
Liberalization for Canada - 1

The culture of online gambling could potentially see some change in the upcoming year, in Canada, according to recent reports from local media sources such as The Public Eye newspaper. While currently, the Canadian Criminal Code mandates that all online gambling operations must only be conducted through provincial governments, the call is getting louder to expand the reach of internet casinos to include private companies. Should the liberalization be seriously considered in North America, it would mean more money for the government from taxes, as bettors from the region already access offshore online casinos, looking for the best bets and bonuses.

At the head of the fight is the Interactive Gaming Council, a trade association based out of Vancouver, and which was developed specifically to address the needs of the online gambling industry in Canada, and fight for operators’ rights with the government. Their ultimate goal is to open up the internet gambling industry in Canada to include strictly regulated offshore companies, like those established on the UK’s white-listed islands. They’ve been working since the third quarter in 2009 to see change, with no significant luck so far in motivating the politicians.

Much of the battling is taking place in the British Columbia, where progress in the issue is more likely. Last year, the government owned and run British Columbia Lottery Corporation announced that they would expand their product offerings to include ‘casino-style games’ like blackjack, poker, and roulette. The promise has been fulfilled and gamblers are able to access the games though the lottery’s home page at PlayNow.com. But since then, it’s been quite on the home front, with John Kennedy Fitzgerald, the head and CEO for the Interactive Gaming Council promising to do whatever it takes to find secure, safe sites comparable to the government’s standards to open up to the private sector.

"Like the B.C. Government, the IGC recognizes there are online gaming companies that operate out of poorly regulated jurisdictions,” said Fitzgerald. "However, IGC members are licensed and strictly regulated in jurisdictions like the Isle of Man, Gibraltar and Alderney, which are recognized by the United Kingdom as having the highest regulatory standards in the world. Some of these jurisdictions have been involved with regulating online gaming for nearly a decade."

to be continued in Liberalization for Canada - 2