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Canadians are getting itchy fingers as 2010 rolls in and online gambling activity starts to gather momentum for the New Year. One such tidbit of newsworthy content relates to the IGC. Breaking the Monopoly? The IGC (Interactive Gaming Council) is a private company which is interested in assuming control of a portion of the Vancouver government's gambling market. As it stands, the state-run monopoly of Canada is still in place, but that reality could soon be altered. Presently only provincial governments are entrusted with the task of running online gambling services. But the IGC is pushing hard - with attractive terms and conditions - against the current laws. Change will benefit manyIn Canada, the composition of the online gambling market reflects an increasingly varied population. Whereas in times gone by, online gambling was the express domain of younger players - owing to the hi-tech nature of using the Net - today's gambler includes a significant number of older folks who have learnt the ways of the Internet and thoroughly enjoy online gambling. In the past decade, the growth in the number of online gamblers over 60 has doubled. How the IGC can help By allowing the IGC to break the state-run monopoly, the benefits to Canada and its players will be enormous. For starters, the government will control the issuing of online gambling licenses to qualified operators. The state will be able to tax all online gaming activity and earn valuable revenues which can be pumped back into community projects or geared towards job creation. Regulation will also bring more transparency and greater accountability amongst operators. From a social perspective, it has further been established that online gambling activity is especially beneficial to seniors, as it aids in staving off mental illness and isolation. The fact that many people can now enjoy affordable gaming entertainment without having to venture out of their homes is another huge cost-saver and convenience. The chat features and community atmosphere of online casinos
For lottery players, a recent legal settlement involving thousands of compulsive gamblers and Loto-Quebec is generating lots of mixed feelings. Gamble for fun, not for addiction At stake is the issue of gambling addiction. Loto-Quebec is a responsible gaming organization and they have reaffirmed their support of addiction-free gambling with a legal settlement to the tune of millions of dollars. But it's not only Quebec that's being affected by the news. There are presently multiple cases scattered throughout Canada. Details of the out-of-court settlement are still being finalized and a hearing is scheduled in Quebec City for March 2010. The present deal is the result of a class-action suit which was filed in 2001 by a group of pathological gamblers. The large group of plaintiffs numbers almost 120,000 and they are seeking compensation in Quebec. Video Lottery Terminals The gambling addicts and their lawyers are placing blame on VLTs for their gambling addictions. They are hoping that the out-of-court settlement will send a strong message to the respective government agencies responsible for allowing such activities. In response, Loto-Quebec has added that no scientific studies confirm that VLTs are responsible for gambling addiction. Treating problem gambling will take time, but the financial compensation of $5,000 per claimant would place a burden of almost $700 million on Loto-Quebec. The final settlement figure is expected to be closer to $50 million. Responsible gaming provider The settlement clearly reflects Loto-Quebec's commitment to responsible gaming practices. Whether all claimants come forward with evidence of their gambling addiction and treatment, or not, is another issue, but the fact remains that a reimbursement is forthcoming. Some observers feel that it's only the lawyers who will benefit while the claimants squabble over dollars as they try to produce evidence of their treatments.
The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry has published a study by the Departments of Community Health Sciences and Psychiatry at the University of Manitoba. The report focuses on the gambling habits of Canadian girls and women from 15 years and older. VLTs are highlighted as the major draw for female gamblers and the report airs concerns about both their ease of availability and the speed at which players can get hooked. The report makes the harsh recommendation to at first reduce accessibility to and ultimately remove VLTs from social meeting points, such as hotels and bars. The advice however, is not welcomed by all and with the Manitoba government receiving revenue of $350 million from gambling in 2008, this solution has not only been criticized as draconian by some but has wider financial implications. Furthermore, a 2009 Statistics Canada survey which found that 56% of Manitoba respondents take part in some form of gambling, many do so casually, without forming any addiction. Other report recommendations such as setting up gambling awareness campaigns and prevention programs specifically aimed at women are much more widely welcomed. Saskatchewan's Approach The neighboring state of Saskatchewan isn't considering removing VLTs from bars and restaurants but is addressing the issue with a different approach. Christine Tell, the minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, explained that site operators of VLTs undertake training to help them identify problem gamblers. Tell also highlighted the financial implications of such a move, declaring that the revenues from VLTs not only benefit the province but hotels and bars too. Rural areas in particular contain many institutions where VLTs attract customers and make a real difference to their bottom line. The Manitoba report may not have convinced Saskatchewan to make any drastic changes but Tell did confirm that the provinces are reviewing the treatment programs they have in place for gambling addicts.
Poker on television is all the rage these days, but it seems everything that gets produced is tailored toward the huge American market. But all that is about to change with the announcement that Canada is set to get its very own poker network Canadian Poker Player Television, a new online channel brought to you by HeadsUp Entertainment. HeadsUp already has a strong association with poker given its work on the Canadian Poker Tour and Canadian Poker Player Magazine, which will work with the new network. And sponsors have been quick to sign up as well, including 888 Poker. "There are so many amazing players and stories that we find on tour", HeadsUp President Kelly B. Kellner said. "Both the magazine and our online network will give players from across the country a forum and showcase as we strive to build new poker superstars." The company has already signaled its intentions for the new online poker channel, having created over 20 hours of programming, including coverage from Canadian poker events and featuring poker professionals such as Phil Hellmuth, Joe Hachem and Gavin Smith, and celebrity player Jennifer Tilly. The network is scheduled to be launched on March 5, with streaming available of programs as well as the option of viewing archived material. With an estimated 3,500,000 poker players, Canada ranks second in the world for online revenue in the poker industry. So it's only fitting that this project is going ahead.
The government of the Canadian province of Quebec is set to begin offering online gambling later in 2010, following an announcement by Loto Quebec that it will launch its own gambling website. The move will see Loto Quebec link up with two other lottery commissions - the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and Atlantic Canada, which represents the four eastern Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island. Quebec Finance Minister Raymond Bachand said the website would bring up to $50 million into government coffers in the first three years. Click here for a French language site on Quebec online gambling. But not everybody is happy about the move. The Kahwanake Gaming Commission, located in Mohawk territory in Quebec, accused government of attacking it via its own online gambling plan. The Commission said that the government had overlooked the opportunities presented to it by a potential partnership with Kahwanake Gaming. The Loto Quebec website will be based on that already set up by Sweden's lottery corporation Svenska Spel. It will include safety features to prevent underage use and will also cap deposits. According to reports some C$675 million (US$630 million) was bet online by Canadians in 2008, with estimates that the number will jump to C$1 billion ($930 million) by 2012.
The Canadian province Ontario is considering offering online gambling, following the lead of other Canadian provinces that have recently announced similar plans. Premier Dalton McGuinty said last week that virtual gambling was a reality the Ontario government could not ignore. "The issue is whether or not we should be involved in that, and I think we're going to have to make a call," McGuinty said. McGuinty made the remarks following comments from the newly appointed head of Ontario Lottery and Gaming, who said he wants the province to provide online gambling to counter the loss of potential revenues to other provinces and to foreign gaming websites. The government in neighboring Quebec - Canada's second-most populous province after Ontario - announced earlier in February that it would be offering Internet gambling later in 2010. The province's finance minister predicted that the move would earn Quebec a cool C$50 million in dividends in its first three years. Two other lottery commissions - one representing the western province of British Columbia and the other representing the four eastern provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island - are also set to offer online gambling. If Ontario goes ahead with the expected move, it would mean seven of Canada's 10 provinces will have begun offering online gambling in 2010, marking a significant transformation in the Internet gambling landscape in the country.
In a potential bout of heavyweight proportions, animal rights group PETA has put itself into the ring against controversial former boxing champion Mike Tyson. The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals has alleged that Tyson's new reality show about pigeon racing involves cruelty to animals and illegal gambling. Official ComplaintPETA outlined the allegation in a letter March 18 to the Brooklyn district attorney's office calling for an investigation into the pigeon races. Tyson, who has raised pigeons all his life, will train and participate in races as part of the show, to be broadcast on Animal Planet in 2011. Animal Planet, a television network that advocates animal rights, denied PETA's allegations, with a spokeswoman saying that the birds "are cherished and respected by their owners, including Mr. Tyson." "There have never been any plans for wagering on the pigeon race," the spokeswoman said, adding that the show is just an inside look at "the intensely competitive and bizarrely fascinating world of pigeon racing." PETA RepeatsThe folks at PETA are not shy from complaints against high-profile figures. Last June, the organization attacked US President Barack Obama after he was filmed swatting a fly during an interview with NBC at the White House. In response to this latest complaint from PETA, a spokesman for the Brooklyn district attorney said that they are "looking into" the matter described in the letter.
A majority of Canadians are supportive of legalizing online casinos, while around half of their counterparts across the border are in agreement, a new study has shown. The study, conducted by Canadian market research firm Ipsos Reid, found that 55 percent of Canadians and 49 percent of Americans were willing to allow Internet gambling as long as it was accompanied by government regulations. This marked a shift in support since the last survey in 2007, in which 48 percent of Canadians and 46 percent of Americans supported legalized online gambling. Unsurprisingly, American respondents to the latest poll were less trusting of their federal government than the Canadian respondents. Forty five percent of Americans said individual states should deal with the regulation of online gaming, compared to 33 percent of Canadians saying it should be dealt by their individual provinces. The survey also found that fewer people in both countries were aware of the fact that online gambling was actually outlawed. Some 23 percent of Canadians said they knew online gambling was illegal, down from 28 percent in 2007. There was slightly more awareness of the laws in the United States, where 37 percent of respondents said they were aware, but that was still down from 41 percent three years earlier. The online study polled more than 1,000 Canadians and 1,000 Americans. Meanwhile, HeadsUp Entertainment International announced last week that it is negotiating with one of the world's biggest poker companies to buy the Canadian Poker Tour or to at least rebrand it. HeadsUp's management believes that Canada has the second biggest online poker market in the world, behind only the United Kingdom.
The Canadian province of Manitoba might just be entering the online gaming business. The Minister for lotteries, Steve Ashton, announced last week that the government of Manitoba was considering following the lead of British Colombia and Nova Scotia. Both of these provinces currently offer their residents online gambling lottery sites. By the end of the year, Manitoba will make the decision whether or not to establish its own website to offer online casino games. Alternative, it may enter into partnership with other provinces in Canada. Those in favour of this move argue that online gaming is a part of life regardless of whether it is regulated by the Canadian government. If Manitoba were to go ahead with this decision, their site would be a reliable alternative for players who currently play on largely unregulated sites at great risk. Ashton stressed in his press conference on that matter that a possible Manitoba site would have safeguards against under aged players and offer transfers limits and secure payment methods. Whether online gambling is legal across the country in Canada is not yet black and white. There are, however, already a couple of online gambling sites that are government backed in other Canadian provinces such as British Colombia, Nova Scotia and some Indian reserves such as Kahnawake. The other Canadian candidate to enter the online gambling market is Quebec later this fall when Loto-Quebec will launch its poker and sports betting site.
There are many reasons why playing at online casinos is advantageous over playing at land-based casinos, not least of which is the higher payback percentages. Online casinos are better placed to offer their customers higher payout percentages because their overhead costs are so much lower than those of their land-based rivals. And if that sounds like just heresy, many online casinos publish verified statistics on their payout percentages on their websites. Canada's own Maple Casino is just one example. According to statistics verified by eCOGRA, the independent player protection organization, Maple provides its customers with very positive payout percentages, with an overall payout of 97.92 percent on money spent on all games. A closer look shows a payout of 97.92 percent on slot games, 95.36 percent on poker games, and a staggering 105.65 percent on table games. And with eCOGRA ensuring that all its member online casinos stay in line, there are lots of benefits for customers at many other online casinos out there too!
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