Nova Scotia has finally launched an online casino via an Atlantic Lottery Corporation website that went live on July 21.
Finance Minister Allan MacMaster said the platform, accessible via the lotto corporation’s website, is not being strongly advertised by ALC but is available for Nova Scotians to play. As of July 22, the casino was home to nearly 150 games.
The platform’s launch comes after months of discussion and means that would-be and existing online gamblers in the province now have a safe and secure place to play, said MacMaster. The website includes a link to play-wise tools which can allow a player to limit the amount of time and money they spend on the site.
A Finance Department spokesperson said the provincial gaming corporation, which has partnered with numerous gaming content providers in recent months, including Everi, NeoPollard, and Pariplay, is projecting the website will generate $10 million in its first year.
However, MacMaster emphasized that the driving factor for the launch of a regulated website was the desire to draw players away from unregulated grey-market or offshore sites, bringing revenues back into the province and offering more visibility and protection for gamblers, similar to what has happened in Ontario in recent months.
“It exists without us and if we have a presence, well at least maybe we can protect people and recoup some of the money that’s leaving our province,” he said, per CBC.
Nova Scotia is the second Atlantic province to launch an online casino after New Brunswick took the step in 2020. CBC reports that platform took $7.3 million in revenue during its first fiscal year in operation. Meanwhile, the P.E.I. government gave approval for an online casino in 2021, but that has yet to launch.
Back in February, Nova Scotia became the final province to launch single-game sports betting, which was legalized via Bill C-218 in summer 2021, offering retail options for bettors. The Canadian Gaming Association estimates that the Nova Scotia sports betting market is worth $26 million annually.