Canada has recently become a more pro-betting nation with changes implemented to permit betting on single events in sports and to permit more local online casinos. This follows a longstanding approach of being permissive towards real world casinos and more ambiguous about the online variety. In that context, it’s interesting to note that a planned mini casino in Montreal (which would see the total number of gaming machines in the city decline rather than rise) has met stiff opposition from Montreal Public Health. At the same time, the online casino world continues to rise in popularity.
Montreal Public Health Opposes New Casino
While casinos and betting generally are mostly permitted in Canada, there are individual exceptions, and one of these occurred recently in the city of Montreal, a city famous for both its F1 race and numerous tourist attractions. Loto-Québec had planned to open a new mini casino near the Bell Centre but received significant opposition to the proposal by Montreal Public Health. The organization had intended to rent the three-storey 1909 Taverne Moderne and install 350 slot machines.
However, Montreal Public Health reacted negatively to the idea, asserting that its location would target men at risk of addiction in the 18-44 year old age bracket. Dr. Mylène Drouin, the director of Montreal Public Health, said that the planned mini casino would increase the chances of newcomers taking up gambling, with detrimental effects.
The Growing Trend of Online Casinos in Canada
There is an obvious alternative to land-based casinos, which can have drawbacks based on location and higher operating costs requiring a higher house edge, and these are online casinos. By being available 24 hours a day and accessible by mobile phone or computer, new online casinos are constantly launched because of their eminent convenience for players. Players hunting the latest places to play can browse the newest additions by Online-casinos.ca where independent reviews assess the available games, mobile support, reputation, banking methods, and other factors. Canada has increasing numbers of domestic sites, and citizens are welcome at international online casinos, meaning there’s already a great array from which to select, and the list of the latest online casinos in Canada is growing all the time.
Casino Cancelled
Earlier in 2023, the finance minister had indicated approval for the planned mini casino would only be granted should a green light be given by Quebec Public Health (to which Montreal Public Health submitted their report). Loto-Québec has been working with Montreal Public Health for two years regarding the mini casino and was stunned to find the report (and interviews) were given to journalists. The organisation also pointed out that, had the plan gone ahead, the 350 new slot machines would have been outweighed by removing 600 video lottery terminals elsewhere.
Montreal Public Health Highlights Online Gambling Trends
According to Montreal Public Health’s figures, there has been a steady decline in visitors to Montreal Casino since 2005, while online gaming has risen substantially. This tallies the international picture and shows that casino gaming via mobile phones has become increasingly popular. Part of this shift occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic when physical casinos were inaccessible during the lockdown, but the general rising trend has persisted for many years.
One of the reasons behind the continual growth in the online casino gaming world is due to new technologies perpetually improving the entertainment on offer. The smartphone revolution enabled players to have a casino in their pocket effectively, and nowadays, both games and online casinos are designed from the ground up with mobile devices in mind. Likewise, the streaming technology that has turned television on its head has been adopted by online casinos to provide the new gaming category of live dealer tables. These combine the accessibility and convenience of online casinos with the atmosphere and immersion of playing in person and have proven to be a big hit with players.
Brick-and-mortar casinos have faced significant challenges from the online world, and Loto-Québec has responded to the opposition of Montreal Public Health by axing its planned mini-casino. Ironically, this means there will be more gaming machines in Montreal than if the casino had gone ahead. It highlights how real world betting establishments face significant hurdles in addition to competition from new CA online casino sites.
In the end, the opposition from Montreal Public Health proved sufficient to scupper the proposed mini casino, while online platforms go from strength to strength.