Quebec’s provincial online gambling site has stopped offering wagers on whether US President Donald Trump will be impeached because the issue is too “sensitive” for the provincial government.
On Wednesday, Loto-Quebec’s Mise-o-jeu online sports betting platform began eagerly promoting its new political proposition wager on whether President Petites Mains would still be leader of the free world by May 1, 2018, or whether the Tangerine Terror would be made to suffer the indignity of impeachment.
But just 24 hours later, the chastened gambling monopoly announced that it was withdrawing the wager from its list of prop bets and refunding all sums wagered on that particular market. Loto-Quebec declined to specify how much action it had taken on this bet, but political props on the 2016 presidential election were the most popular non-sports wagering event in the monopoly’s history.
The request/order reportedly came from the provincial government, with a spokesperson for Quebec’s Finance Minister saying the Crown corporation understood that the subject was too “sensitive” for frivolous activity such as betting.
Trouble is, Loto-Quebec’s counterpart in British Columbia still had Trump impeachment props – alongside ‘Trump Narcissism Specials’ – on its PlayNow gambling site, so Loto-Quebec might as well ship its sensitive balls over to BC where real men can put them to good use. (While you’re at it, send Coeur de Pirate as well, cuz she’s freaking awesome.)
So what gives, Quebec? Did Der Donald threaten to impose huge tariffs on maple syrup when he renegotiates NAFTA? Or does his hatred of Quebec’s supply management of its dairy industry threaten the cheese curds in la belle province’s signature dish poutine?
Anyway, Loto-Quebec’s caving on the Trump front came just one day after the gambling monopoly named Lynne Roiter as its new president and CEO. Roiter is a 30-year veteran who has been serving as Loto-Quebec’s interim CEO since last August, but the removal of her interim tag officially makes her the first female chief exec in Loto-Quebec’s history.
Loto-Quebec is due to issue its FY16 annual report later this month, that is, assuming that’s okay with the US covfefe-in-chief.
