New Brunswick mulling online gambling laws

atlantic lotteryWhile there’s no denying the beauty of Quebec, much of Canada looks down on the Eastern province like they half expect them to make off with the silverware when no one’s watching. Yet, New Brunswick is keeping its eye on Quebec in a more inquisitive fashion, as a litmus test for the online gambling industry.

The Atlantic Lottery Group has begun conducting preliminary research into the potential financial benefits of a state-sponsored online gambling operation in New Brunswick, according to the Montreal Gazette. If the province were to embrace the iGaming industry it would be the first Atlantic province to legalize online gambling in the nation, giving the finger to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland who already passed on internet gaming this past year.

“What has happened over the years [is] a very large amount of growth in online gaming, all governments across Canada have looked at it,” Marc Belliveau, the communications director for the New Brunswick Department of Finance and New Brunswick’s own Lotteries and Gaming Corp, told the press. “The fact that Quebec has done it is interesting to us. We’ll watch with interest.”