After the passing of Bill C-218, which would later become known as the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, Canada’s gambling market underwent a major paradigm shift. The first action among the provinces, which could now regulate themselves as they saw fit, was to legalize single game betting on their state run lottery corporations. Then, Ontario launched a licensing system, that allowed bookmakers to set up their services legally in the province.
Can gamblers in Quebec expect the same outcome?
Alex Goldstein, editor-in-chief for leading bookmaker comparison website mybettingsites.com/ca, has weighed in. He’s given his opinion on the matter of Quebec, how a legal gambling market may or may not be tackled, and what he thinks the outcome will be.
Quebec has always liked to be different
When we asked Goldstein about his thoughts on whether Quebec would be undertaking a similar licensing approach, his answer was unclear at best. Goldstein stated, “Maybe, but maybe not. Quebec has always liked to be different. I expect that while we can expect a licensing system in Quebec in the coming months, it won’t carry some of the same aspects that are present in the rules set out in Ontario.”
The offshore online gambling industry has been the second-biggest source of gambling revenue, behind unlicensed and illegally operated Canadian sportsbooks. With the proverbial ball being in each of the province’s courts, it’s in their best interests to ensure that a licensing system be set up – but what it will look like in each province is up for debate.
Back to basics – what can we expect from Quebec if they regulate?
One of the big reasons for the decision to legalize online sports betting operators was with the intention to keep gambling money in Canada. While Ontario has set up their licensing framework, some offshore bookmakers continue to accept players from the province, an issue that the AGCO promises to address now that the market is beginning to find its feet.
While Quebec has often taken a different stance to the rest of the Canadian provinces, it’s best for those governing Quebec to at least take inspiration from what has been implemented in Ontario.
Advertisement of inducements – yes or no?
One big point of contention in Ontario’s new legal gambling framework, among gambling affiliates, the operators themselves and the regulating bodies in Ontario have been the advertisement of inducements. Any inducement, or the promise of a reward for completing an action, is prohibited on any and all advertisement platforms in Ontario.
Major players in the Ontario market have suffered from this, as they attempted to push the limits set out by the AGCO, and were met with hefty fines for their failure to comply with what had been set out. This has many experts, including Goldstein himself, wondering if Quebec will implement something similar, or not.
Goldstein said, “If we take into account the tendency for Quebec to be different, then we can expect that the advertisement of inducements will still be on the table for operators and affiliates that will enter the province.”
Inducements are a big part of betting platforms’ marketing strategies, so the removal of them has significantly affected the ability for new operators to get new sign-ups in Ontario. Quebec may have noticed this fact, and may work to ensure that players can get the full picture from the offset.
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