Online casinos and legalization popular topic in Canada

The Canadian Gaming Summit this year is attracting gambling executives from all over the world, but internet gambling and the possible legalization of the online casinos in the country seems to be the main topic of the gathering. Government officials in Canada estimate that the country's residents spend over $1 billion yearly at the online casinos and just as politicians from anywhere in the world - they would like to get the tax piece of this pie, as well, something welcomed by the online casinos and offline casinos alike. The online casinos would be more than happy to operate under full legality in the country, while the land-based gambling establishments would gladly explore the online gambling road to more revenues. "By legalizing online gaming and regulating it, we'd be putting money back into the coffers here at home. The customers are way ahead of government and regulators. We think it's high time Canada has that debate, so that is why we're talking about it here," Paul Burns, vice-president of the Canadian Gaming Association, was quoted.

Cleary both the online casinos and the offline casinos are looking forward to full legalization in Canada, but the road will be long and hard. Opposition to online gambling, as well as local casinos, has long been in place throughout the country and will continue to push against gambling expansions in the future. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission at this time remains the only road to a form of licensing of the online casinos in Canada, although still miles ahead of the USA, where online casinos and other forms of online gambling are frowned upon by politicians.

Published on 05/02/2010