Nova Scotia not joining online gambling movement in Canada

Premier Darrell Dexter has considered the effects of online gambling in his territory, and he has decided against any regulations for the industry. Dexter claims that the Nova Scotia government is attempting to move away from, not towards gambling.

"We don't think it's consistent with our goal to try and reduce the harm that is done by gaming," said Dexter, when speaking to reporters in Halifax. Dexter was joined by another lawmakers who supports the Premier's decision.

Finance Minister Graham Steele had originally taken the position that online gambling regulations were needed in Nova Scotia. Steele, however, has changed his stance, and now claims that research has shown that a government-run online casino would bring new gamblers to Nova Scotia.

Currently, thousands of gamblers play online at casinos from other jurisdictions. The players. much like the online gamblers in the US, are unprotected against any shady operations. The Nova Scotia government understands the need for regulations, but not at the expense of adding more gamblers.

British Columbia launched their PlayNow online casino back in the summer. The B.C. Lottery Corp. originally had some security issues with the software being used, but after shutting down the site, the security issues were cleared up and the site re-launched.