The Ontario Lottery Prepares the Launch of Its First Approved Online Gaming Platform
The Canadian province of Ontario is set to become the fifth province in the country to launch a fully regulated online gambling platform, following the announcement that PlayOLG.ca, an online gaming site operated by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), will open for business "in the coming weeks."
Currently, members of OLG's Circle Rewards Program, a group of around 50,000 loyal customers, have had a preview of the site via email, where they were asked to share their feedback on its offerings. When officially launched, PlayOLG.ca will initially feature a variety of slot games, table games including video poker and roulette, as well as traditional lottery products. In the future, the site plans to expand its selection to include poker, bingo, and sports betting.
Ontario has been moving towards online gambling regulation for quite some time - the intention was first announced back in 2010 as a means of generating extra revenue to help balance the budget. However, the "gray market" has long been an issue in the province, with an estimated 500,000 people gambling frequently on offshore sites such as PokerStars, which is now part of Toronto-based Amaya. This has led to an estimated $400 million to $500 million in lost gross revenue that could be recouped by the government.
Spokesman Tony Bitoni believes that there is a strong demand for a regulated site like PlayOLG, as many Canadians are seeking a "trusted" source for their online gaming needs. "PlayOLG has a unique offer as the only regulated site in Ontario," he explains, "knowing your winnings will always be paid out just like lottery tickets."
The site is expected to generate approximately $375 million in tax revenue within its first five years of operation. “As a new line of business, PlayOLG will provide more money to the Government of Ontario for hospitals and other government priorities," OLG claims.
OLG initially aimed to have the site up and running by 2012, but the launch was delayed due to the need to implement responsible gambling features into the technology. This included stringent age-verification procedures, weekly deposit and time limits for play, and tight controls on the number of lottery tickets that could be purchased.
Bitoni believes that these measures, which are also intended to help combat problem gambling, are essential. "We wanted to make this right. We’ve looked at challenges faced by other provinces that have adopted online gaming and learned from them," he explains.
The right to regulate lotteries and games of chance was ceded to the provincial governments by the Canadian government in the 1960s. Currently, British Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba, and all of the Atlantic provinces all offer online gaming. There is also a community in Quebec known as Kahnawake that houses more than 50 online gambling companies, which are licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission as part of their "aboriginal rights" dating back to ancient times. These rights have never been challenged by the Canadian government.
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