Ontario to consider whether online gamblers can legally play with non-Canadians
The matter will go before the court later this fall.
Lawmakers in the Canadian province of Ontario will consider whether to allow players in the province to engage in game play on regulated sites with those outside the country, according to a CBC News report.
Online gaming debuted in the province two years ago. The push for the precedent-setting court ruling will go before a Toronto court later this fall, the local report said.
Earlier this year, an order-in-council came from Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet, which asked the Ontario Court of Appeal to rule on the following question: “Would legal online gaming and sports betting remain lawful under the Criminal Code if its users were permitted to participate in games and betting involving individuals outside of Canada?”
Canadian Gaming Association President and CEO Paul Burns told CBC News he believes allowing users to play with non-Canadians could boost business within the province.
He commented further, “You could see, I think, a significant increase in the poker business in the province.”
A spokesperson for Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey noted that Ontario is “bringing the online gambling reference case to get clarity on whether a model that permits international play would be lawful.”
Downey Press Secretary Jack Fazzari outlined the specifics on what clarification is needed in an email to CBC News.
He wrote, “The federal Criminal Code is not sufficiently clear on whether Ontarians can participate in online gaming with players in other countries.
“It’s important that we get this right to provide the most legal certainty to operators and players as this new industry grows in Ontario.”
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