Canadian Lottery Operator Seeks to Delve into Online Gambling

Atlantic Lottery seeks to get into emerging market for online casino gaming as traditional lottery products go out of fashion.

The Atlantic Lottery, which operates all legalized gaming in Canada’s Atlantic provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador, has announced the desire to step into the world of internet gambling in Canada.

Company executives cited the fact that demand is falling for its traditional lottery products like tickets and scratch cards as well as video lottery services. Most concerning, Canadians under the age of 30 don’t appear to be interested in buying lottery tickets anymore.

Atlantic Lottery sees online gambling as way to boost sagging revenues

Given the inability to attract newer, younger customers, the corporation is viewing the emerging internet and mobile casino market as a way of reversing its fortunes.

Considering that Canadians are free to gamble with foreign-operated sites that don’t pay taxes to the Canadian government, a statement from the company may have struck a nerve:

“Atlantic Canadians are spending millions of dollars annually on these gambling sites that operate outside of any regulations established by our governments. Unlike Atlantic Lottery, those sites’ profits don’t stay in the region to support our communities.”

Given the Canadian governments’ inability to pass significant changes to gambling laws (bill C-290, for example), the chances of a new bill look slim, but one can hope.