With very little fanfare Nova Scotia launched their online casino on Thursday.
Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation CEO Bob MacKinnon says they did not advertise the launch as they are not really trying to promote the platform, “There are 2,000 online gaming companies and none of them except us pay taxes in Nova Scotia or redirect their profits back into the province and programs that support our citizens.”.
The online casino will be operated by the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation with oversight from the Finance Department, who estimates it will generate around $10 million annually for the province.
MacKinnon’s estimates vary slightly with him suggesting they expect around $13 million in revenue from online gaming annually.
The idea for an online casino was put forward by the previous Liberal government, however, the final greenlight was given by Finance Minister Allan MacMaster within the last few days.
In its current form, the site offers slots, table games, and video poker.
The site also allows players to set limits for themselves on things like amount of time played, maximum wagers, and deposit limits through the PlayWise feature.
The NS online casino allows players to set limits on how they can play. Photo: ALC.
When the online casino plans were first unveiled they were met with criticism over the idea that the province shouldn’t be making gambling more accessible, however, the Finance Department has said that Nova Scotians who want to gamble online have already been doing so online with other companies that do not redirect profits to Nova Scotia.
The NS Gaming Corporation estimates that currently around $100 million dollars are lost to foreign gambling sites from people across Atlantic Canada.
New Brunswick was the first Atlantic province to launch an online casino, doing so in 2020. In its first full fiscal year, it generated $7.4 million for the province.
PEI also passed legislation in 2021 to launch its own online casino, but as of now, it has yet to go live.
