New Brunswick May Launch Online Gambling

While other provinces in Canada have been hesitant about legalizing online gambling it appears as if New Brunswick is not at all shy about the prospect and is looking seriously at its legalization because it is potentially too lucrative and has too much revenue potential for the government to pass up.

Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland have all taken a pass so far at legalized online gambling but New Brunswick has commissioned a task force to study its potential.

What this potential legalization really points to is that the online gambling industry has enjoyed such an explosive growth that governments not just in Canada but all over the world have taken notice as their budgets face severe shortfalls.

The Canadian province of Quebec has enjoyed a steady stream of revenue from the Lotto-Quebec that it set up years ago and takes in almost $100 million in additional revenue from the lottery.

The Canadian government estimates that nearly $100 million is spent on online gambling in just the Atlantic portion of the country alone, where New Brunswick is located.

Canada has long understood the potential of gambling as a source of revenue for government programs and services. With the world economy still in recession there are few growth industries that are making big profits but online gambling happens to be one of them and it is highly likely that many national governments will be taking a second look at the industry in order to subsidize their existence.