New Brunswick Weighs Opening iGaming Market to Private Operators

New Brunswick is reportedly “exploring options” to legalize commercial iGaming, potentially following Ontario and Alberta in opening its market to private operators, according to the Telegraph-Journal. As New Brunswick considers opening its iGaming market up to private operators, the Atlantic Lottery Corporation said it loses approximately $200 million a year to unregulated gambling sites. (Image: Shutterstock). iGaming in Canada’s eastern province is currently offered by the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC), a government-owned organization that operates lottery, sports betting, and online casino on behalf of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. New Brunswick Considers Regulatory Changes The newspaper spoke with René Legacy, New Brunswick’s finance minister, who confirmed that Premier Susan Holt’s administration is considering changing the province’s iGaming regulatory model, reportedly concerned that the province is losing millions in annual gambling revenue. The ALC splits its profits with the member provinces. Ontario launched regulated iGaming in 2022 and just reported CA$396.3 million($281.54 million) in total non-adjusted gross gaming revenue (NAGGR) for August, with 49 operators currently licensed and operating. Alberta and Ontario Lead Expansion Alberta’s iGaming market launched in July and currently has 51 operator sites live and accepting wagers within the regulated market. ALC president and CEO Dallas McCready said in October 2025 that unregulated online gambling sites draw approximately CA$200 million ($142.3 million) in revenue away from Canada’s Atlantic provinces every year. The Telegraph-Journal said that players in New Brunswick who try to access Ontario sites are geo-blocked but are often redirected to international domains run by the same operators. McCready said during the 2024-25 fiscal year ALC increased its market share of total online betting and gaming activity in the region to 34%, up from 22% in the previous year. He added that the objective was to reach 50% of the gaming market over the next five years. Research Highlights Potential Tax Losses According to market channelization research by TRM Public Affairs, 25% of the CA$921 million ($655.29 million) available market in Atlantic Canada has been channeled, while 75% remains in the unregulated space, meaning CA$691 million ($491.6 million) in unregulated gaming revenue is lost. TRM estimated that CA$167.6 million ($119.25 million) in government revenue has been lost in Atlantic Canada. Meanwhile, Quebec’s newly elected Parti Québécois minority government, committed to balancing the province’s budget by 2028-29, said during the campaign it favored private online gaming under a regulated provincial framework. The opposition Liberal Party has made a similar commitment. The party that had governed Quebec while it kept its online gaming monopoly, the Coalition Avenir Québec, was wiped out in the Oct. 5 election. The post New Brunswick Weighs Opening iGaming Market to Private Operators appeared first on Casino.org.