Ewallet service provider Skrill will be leaving the Canadian online gaming market.
The news came suddenly to both gaming firms and players on Skrill’s departure from the Canadian market. Skrill sent out notifications to gaming firms and players stating they have 4 weeks to cash out their balances, and will cease their services as of January 2nd 2014.
Canadian players have experienced a similar story in the past, when Neteller exited the market back in 2007. Currently, Canadian players have some options left for placing wages online with the likes of MasterCard, Visa, InstaDebit, Ukash, PaySafeCard, EntroPay and electronic checks.
Skrill is the (un)official ewallet for online gambling in New Jersey, and plans on expanding their presence in North America as more states decide to follow suit and legalize online gaming. The sudden, short announced decision does leave many wondering. There are rumors of provincial lottery sites posing a stand against offshore firms who do not pay Canadian taxes, and they are taking action against them.
There is no word from Skrill as of yet on why they have decided to leave the Canadian market.
Showing posts with label Canada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canada. Show all posts
December 13, 2013
March 06, 2012
Duncan eyeing sportsbooks?
A private members bill seeking to legalize single-game sports betting in Canada passed its third reading in the House of Commons on Friday.
Currently, wagering on a single sports game is prohibited in Canada under the Criminal Code. It is also prohibited across most of North America, only allowed in the state of Nevada.
Bill C-290, introduced by MP Joe Comartin (Windsor-Tecumseh), will now be sent to the Senate for consideration and approval. Upon approval, the legislation must receive Royal Assent before coming into force.
"We are very encouraged by the progress made to date, as well as the strong support that the bill has received from all the major parties," said CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association Bill Rutsey in a news release. "We look forward to working with the Senate as it evaluates the bill, in order to reinforce how important it is to provide Canadians with a legal and regulated product for wagering on individual sporting events."
If the legislation is passed, provinces will then be free to decide whether or not, and in what format, they want to offer single-game sports betting. Currently, in Ontario Pro-Line sports wagering exists where wagers must be made on a minimum of three games at the same time.
Single-game sports betting is expected to benefit casinos -- and possibly racetracks -- that would be allowed to open their own Las Vegas-style sports books, particularly the ones located near the U.S. border attracting American customers.
“I have written to the federal government a number of times to push for changes to single-sport wagering in Ontario. Ontarians who like gaming like single-sport wagering,” Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, the MPP in the same Windsor - Tecumseh riding of Comartin, was quoted as saying in a Toronto Star article. “Today’s vote in Ottawa is a step toward modernizing gaming in Ontario and will help OLG’s casinos remain competitive.”
Currently, wagering on a single sports game is prohibited in Canada under the Criminal Code. It is also prohibited across most of North America, only allowed in the state of Nevada.
Bill C-290, introduced by MP Joe Comartin (Windsor-Tecumseh), will now be sent to the Senate for consideration and approval. Upon approval, the legislation must receive Royal Assent before coming into force.
"We are very encouraged by the progress made to date, as well as the strong support that the bill has received from all the major parties," said CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association Bill Rutsey in a news release. "We look forward to working with the Senate as it evaluates the bill, in order to reinforce how important it is to provide Canadians with a legal and regulated product for wagering on individual sporting events."
If the legislation is passed, provinces will then be free to decide whether or not, and in what format, they want to offer single-game sports betting. Currently, in Ontario Pro-Line sports wagering exists where wagers must be made on a minimum of three games at the same time.
Single-game sports betting is expected to benefit casinos -- and possibly racetracks -- that would be allowed to open their own Las Vegas-style sports books, particularly the ones located near the U.S. border attracting American customers.
“I have written to the federal government a number of times to push for changes to single-sport wagering in Ontario. Ontarians who like gaming like single-sport wagering,” Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, the MPP in the same Windsor - Tecumseh riding of Comartin, was quoted as saying in a Toronto Star article. “Today’s vote in Ottawa is a step toward modernizing gaming in Ontario and will help OLG’s casinos remain competitive.”
August 11, 2010
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. to bring online gambling to Ontario in 2012
Ontario will start offering online gambling in 2012, with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. promising a secure environment that will protect young people and problem gamblers.
"OLG needs to be current and to keep in tune with the changing needs of our customers," OLG chair Paul Godfrey told a news conference on Tuesday.
Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said the move was meant to ensure "the competitiveness of OLG going forward."
"We know that we're losing about $400 million per year to offshore websites," Duncan said.
Godfrey added: "If we're going to retain Ontarians' money in Ontario, we've got to start doing it now."
In the 2010 budget, documents showed that OLG revenue dropped by $83 million, mainly due to lower revenue from slot machines.
The returns from the online gambling expansion will be modest, Duncan admitted. Government officials have estimated Ontario will make about $100 million per year within five years of startup. Last year, the OLG generated $1.7 billion in revenue for the province.
Robert Murray, manager of the problem gambling project at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, said while online gamblers represent only a small portion -- about 2.1 per cent -- of total gamblers, the Internet is one of the fastest-growing methods of gambling.
Murray said he is concerned that more people will want to try online gambling if they know it is government-sanctioned.
"The trick is to balance the need to generate revenue with the social consequences that this expansion of gambling may result in," Murray told CTV News Channel Tuesday afternoon. "There's going to be a social impact here because people are going to have a variety of different ways of now accessing gambling…and this is going to bring gambling in your home."
Duncan said there will be safeguards to ensure responsible gambling.
"Although Ontario is following many other jurisdictions, we feel that by the time OLG launches its site, it will benefit from best practices and policies in use worldwide," he said.
British Columbia launched an online casino last month -- PlayNow.com. Quebec is expected to soon follow. The Atlantic Lottery Corp. offers five interactive games through its website, including Hold'em Poker.
The U.S. is expected to end its Internet gambling ban this fall.
Godfrey said Ontarians currently gambling online are doing so in unlicensed, unregulated environments.
Ontario's online gaming channel will be safe and secure, he said.
There will be strong age-verification procedures to keep underage gamblers from playing, Godfrey said.
"It will implement the gold standard in responsible gaming controls and tools," he said. "Best-in-class security will be utilized to ensure the safety and security of customers' accounts and personal information."
B.C.'s website is having problems. The financial information of some players was compromised, and the B.C. Lottery Corp. had to take PlayNow.com offline and it remains unavailable at this time.
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath called OLG's move "a big mistake."
"If the government really wanted to show some leadership here, they would be working with the federal government to figure out how we can prevent online gambling in Canada and in Ontario," Horwath told reporters.
Godfrey said players won't be able to participate on the Ontario website anonymously.
"This provides a controlled gaming environment," he said. "It allows us to identify each player, allow for play limits and warning flags around extensive play."
If necessary, free treatment services will be made available, he said.
"OLG needs to be current and to keep in tune with the changing needs of our customers," OLG chair Paul Godfrey told a news conference on Tuesday.
Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said the move was meant to ensure "the competitiveness of OLG going forward."
"We know that we're losing about $400 million per year to offshore websites," Duncan said.
Godfrey added: "If we're going to retain Ontarians' money in Ontario, we've got to start doing it now."
In the 2010 budget, documents showed that OLG revenue dropped by $83 million, mainly due to lower revenue from slot machines.
The returns from the online gambling expansion will be modest, Duncan admitted. Government officials have estimated Ontario will make about $100 million per year within five years of startup. Last year, the OLG generated $1.7 billion in revenue for the province.
Robert Murray, manager of the problem gambling project at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, said while online gamblers represent only a small portion -- about 2.1 per cent -- of total gamblers, the Internet is one of the fastest-growing methods of gambling.
Murray said he is concerned that more people will want to try online gambling if they know it is government-sanctioned.
"The trick is to balance the need to generate revenue with the social consequences that this expansion of gambling may result in," Murray told CTV News Channel Tuesday afternoon. "There's going to be a social impact here because people are going to have a variety of different ways of now accessing gambling…and this is going to bring gambling in your home."
Duncan said there will be safeguards to ensure responsible gambling.
"Although Ontario is following many other jurisdictions, we feel that by the time OLG launches its site, it will benefit from best practices and policies in use worldwide," he said.
British Columbia launched an online casino last month -- PlayNow.com. Quebec is expected to soon follow. The Atlantic Lottery Corp. offers five interactive games through its website, including Hold'em Poker.
The U.S. is expected to end its Internet gambling ban this fall.
Godfrey said Ontarians currently gambling online are doing so in unlicensed, unregulated environments.
Ontario's online gaming channel will be safe and secure, he said.
There will be strong age-verification procedures to keep underage gamblers from playing, Godfrey said.
"It will implement the gold standard in responsible gaming controls and tools," he said. "Best-in-class security will be utilized to ensure the safety and security of customers' accounts and personal information."
B.C.'s website is having problems. The financial information of some players was compromised, and the B.C. Lottery Corp. had to take PlayNow.com offline and it remains unavailable at this time.
Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath called OLG's move "a big mistake."
"If the government really wanted to show some leadership here, they would be working with the federal government to figure out how we can prevent online gambling in Canada and in Ontario," Horwath told reporters.
Godfrey said players won't be able to participate on the Ontario website anonymously.
"This provides a controlled gaming environment," he said. "It allows us to identify each player, allow for play limits and warning flags around extensive play."
If necessary, free treatment services will be made available, he said.
February 15, 2010
United States falls behind Canada in online gambling
Quebec, home of the Kahnwawake Gaming Commission, licensor of many forms of online gambling, has recently been given the go ahead to enact online gambling. By September of 2010, citizens of Quebec will be legally entitled to enjoy online gambling.
Canada had been one of the nations that had adhered to online gambling laws more judiciously, but Loto-Quebec had been working toward opening online gambling options to the residents. Loto-Quebec already offers online sports betting, but online casino gambling is set to open to the residents.
The Bodog brand of online casino hails from Canada, though has only recently become open to players within the nation.
Despite the government legalizing expanded online gambling, some Quebecois have already been crying out against the decision. Under the pretext that online gambling could lead to damage against pathological gamblers, these opponents have been up in arms. Proponents, however, attest that online gambling is already operating, and players who wish to do so will do so regardless of the law.
Loto-Quebec has stated that the licensed online gambling sites, different from USA online gambling sites, will be easier to monitor and limit to those who have a problem - whether they choose to admit or otherwise. Weekly wager limits, self exclusion, and strict adherence to age restrictions are all to be monitored.
Though some of the more open minded legislators in the United States have been pushing for the legalization of online gambling, only moderate success has been shown so far. Over the next few weeks, it is likely that the issue will be once again brought to light.
Canada had been one of the nations that had adhered to online gambling laws more judiciously, but Loto-Quebec had been working toward opening online gambling options to the residents. Loto-Quebec already offers online sports betting, but online casino gambling is set to open to the residents.
The Bodog brand of online casino hails from Canada, though has only recently become open to players within the nation.
Despite the government legalizing expanded online gambling, some Quebecois have already been crying out against the decision. Under the pretext that online gambling could lead to damage against pathological gamblers, these opponents have been up in arms. Proponents, however, attest that online gambling is already operating, and players who wish to do so will do so regardless of the law.
Loto-Quebec has stated that the licensed online gambling sites, different from USA online gambling sites, will be easier to monitor and limit to those who have a problem - whether they choose to admit or otherwise. Weekly wager limits, self exclusion, and strict adherence to age restrictions are all to be monitored.
Though some of the more open minded legislators in the United States have been pushing for the legalization of online gambling, only moderate success has been shown so far. Over the next few weeks, it is likely that the issue will be once again brought to light.
February 08, 2010
Kahnawake hits back at Québec’s online gambling plans
The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake has responded to last week’s decision by the government of Québec to authorise state lottery operator Loto-Québec to offer online gambling to the province’s residents, saying that the government has chosen to continue its “implicit demonisation of Kahnawake” instead of participating as partners with the Mohawk jurisdiction.
Kahnawake said that comments attributed to Québec Minister of Finance Raymond Bachand last week implied that the Loto-Québec initiative would negatively impact Kahnawake.
“Minister Bachand either does not understand how the online gaming industry works - or is simply using the opportunity to take a gratuitous swipe at Kahnawake for his own political reasons,” said the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake in a statement Friday.
Minister Bachand said last week that online gambling was a booming sector with Québec residents having access to some 2,000 gambling sites on the internet, with the government deciding to authorise Loto-Québec to offer online games of chance in order to combat the exponential growth in illegal online gambling.
“Loto-Québec is being given the responsibility of working to redirect this already existing but illegal gaming activity to a site that is secure, legal and trustworthy. I believe this to be an efficient way of fighting the underground economy,” said Bachand.
The Kahnawake Commission says however that by competing directly with established online gaming operators such as PokerStars, PartyGaming and Full Tilt Poker, it is difficult to understand how Loto-Québec’s “late and limited entry into the market will negatively affect, let alone ‘cannibalize’ these sites.”
Kahnawake said that Québec had failed to understand or deliberately ignored “the opportunities for synergy between Loto-Quebec and Kahnawake”, and questioned why Loto-Québec’s online gambling operation couldn’t be hosted from Mohawk Internet Technologies, a business created by the community’s band council.
Kahnawake goes further, suggesting that the Québec government could work with the Kahnawake Gaming Commission to harmonise their regulations concerning online gaming, which would be consistent with the pledges that Québec made to Kahnawake in the “Statement of Understanding and Mutual Respect” in 1998 and again in 2009.
By deciding to legalise online gaming for its own purposes, Kahnawake claims that Québec had the perfect opportunity to participate as partners to advance the developing industry, but instead Québec has chosen to continue its “implicit demonisation of Kahnawake”.
Kahnawake said that unless Québec reconsidered its position, it would “colour the relations” that Kahnawake and Québec seek to maintain in other areas. The government of Quebec however does not recognise Kahnawake as a licensing jurisdiction, with the province's criminal code stating that only the provincial government is authorised to hand out gaming licences.
Loto-Québec said it intends to launch its online gaming site including poker during the third quarter of 2010, following the Québec Cabinet’s decision to formally sanction a change to the online gaming regulation last week.
Kahnawake said that comments attributed to Québec Minister of Finance Raymond Bachand last week implied that the Loto-Québec initiative would negatively impact Kahnawake.
“Minister Bachand either does not understand how the online gaming industry works - or is simply using the opportunity to take a gratuitous swipe at Kahnawake for his own political reasons,” said the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake in a statement Friday.
Minister Bachand said last week that online gambling was a booming sector with Québec residents having access to some 2,000 gambling sites on the internet, with the government deciding to authorise Loto-Québec to offer online games of chance in order to combat the exponential growth in illegal online gambling.
“Loto-Québec is being given the responsibility of working to redirect this already existing but illegal gaming activity to a site that is secure, legal and trustworthy. I believe this to be an efficient way of fighting the underground economy,” said Bachand.
The Kahnawake Commission says however that by competing directly with established online gaming operators such as PokerStars, PartyGaming and Full Tilt Poker, it is difficult to understand how Loto-Québec’s “late and limited entry into the market will negatively affect, let alone ‘cannibalize’ these sites.”
Kahnawake said that Québec had failed to understand or deliberately ignored “the opportunities for synergy between Loto-Quebec and Kahnawake”, and questioned why Loto-Québec’s online gambling operation couldn’t be hosted from Mohawk Internet Technologies, a business created by the community’s band council.
Kahnawake goes further, suggesting that the Québec government could work with the Kahnawake Gaming Commission to harmonise their regulations concerning online gaming, which would be consistent with the pledges that Québec made to Kahnawake in the “Statement of Understanding and Mutual Respect” in 1998 and again in 2009.
By deciding to legalise online gaming for its own purposes, Kahnawake claims that Québec had the perfect opportunity to participate as partners to advance the developing industry, but instead Québec has chosen to continue its “implicit demonisation of Kahnawake”.
Kahnawake said that unless Québec reconsidered its position, it would “colour the relations” that Kahnawake and Québec seek to maintain in other areas. The government of Quebec however does not recognise Kahnawake as a licensing jurisdiction, with the province's criminal code stating that only the provincial government is authorised to hand out gaming licences.
Loto-Québec said it intends to launch its online gaming site including poker during the third quarter of 2010, following the Québec Cabinet’s decision to formally sanction a change to the online gaming regulation last week.
February 02, 2010
Gambling habits used as proof of man’s innocence in Canada
Canada is a geographically massive nation and it harbors many gamblers within its borders. The history of gambling has been all over the place, but rather liberal policies in Canadian gambling law are what may lead to an immigrant man’s freedom from questioning and imprisonment.
Terror suspect Mohamed Harkat, moved to Canada in October of 1995. Since then, he has been under surveillance and accused frequently to being a sleeper agent for al-Qaeda in Canada. Some of his behaviors, such as not turning in an alias to the authorities and meeting with well-known Bin Laden associates, lead government forces to believe that he is, in fact, a terrorist.
There are several factors to Mohamed Harkat’s life that his lawyers are attempting to use to prove the man’s innocence. He married and settled down with a Canadian and has contacted the police without reserve on three different occasions, drawing attention to himself that would not be favored in the event that he would be a sleeper agent.
Lawyers are also trying to use Harkat’s passion for gambling as a form of proof towards his innocence. Al-Qaeda is a group that is composed mostly of Islamic religious idealists of a rather extreme order, and such individuals would not participate freely in gambling, as it’s quite specifically against Islamic law to gamble.
Land-based and internet gambling in Canada are both legal at this point and enjoy a certain degree of popularity. Though the Canadian government doesn’t issue licenses for internet casino operation, the independent Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, located in Canada, is one of the largest online gambling centers in the world.
Harkat did not frequent online casinos in Canada, but visited the brick and mortar casinos within the country. He is currently on the fringe of being deported and will stand trial for up to 5 weeks as the government decides on his status.
Terror suspect Mohamed Harkat, moved to Canada in October of 1995. Since then, he has been under surveillance and accused frequently to being a sleeper agent for al-Qaeda in Canada. Some of his behaviors, such as not turning in an alias to the authorities and meeting with well-known Bin Laden associates, lead government forces to believe that he is, in fact, a terrorist.
There are several factors to Mohamed Harkat’s life that his lawyers are attempting to use to prove the man’s innocence. He married and settled down with a Canadian and has contacted the police without reserve on three different occasions, drawing attention to himself that would not be favored in the event that he would be a sleeper agent.
Lawyers are also trying to use Harkat’s passion for gambling as a form of proof towards his innocence. Al-Qaeda is a group that is composed mostly of Islamic religious idealists of a rather extreme order, and such individuals would not participate freely in gambling, as it’s quite specifically against Islamic law to gamble.
Land-based and internet gambling in Canada are both legal at this point and enjoy a certain degree of popularity. Though the Canadian government doesn’t issue licenses for internet casino operation, the independent Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, located in Canada, is one of the largest online gambling centers in the world.
Harkat did not frequent online casinos in Canada, but visited the brick and mortar casinos within the country. He is currently on the fringe of being deported and will stand trial for up to 5 weeks as the government decides on his status.
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