Canada: Atlantic Lotto to expand its online casino into Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia

After quietly launching a site New Brunswickers could access in August 2020, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation has announced its plans to allow play by residents of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

New Brunswick residents are currently allowed to gamble up to $500 on a hand of blackjack, or up to $100 on a single pull of a virtual slot machine, through this site.

The launch of that site came as the culmination of efforts dating back a decade by Atlantic Lotto to get any of its shareholders — the four provincial governments in Atlantic Canada — to buy into the notion of an online casino.

After years of being turned down, Atlantic Lotto said the coronavirus pandemic proved to be the right time to launch its online effort, CBC reports.

"Offshore operators who are marketing to Atlantic Canadians really picked up steam over COVID," said Chris Keevill, CEO of Atlantic Lotto. "We don't think that they operate with the best interests and safety of Atlantic Canadians in mind."

According to ALC, about $100 million leaves the Atlantic region each year through gambling on offshore websites.

However, when asked how that figure was calculated, Keevill said it's "very difficult to track."