ALC’s Plans for an online casino in PEI losing momentum fast.

In late December, the provincial cabinet of Prince Edward Island (PEI) made the controversial decision to support Atlantic Lottery Corp’s production of a provincially regulated online casino. The move came just months after New Brunswick quietly allowed the ALC to launch an iGaming offering to its citizens in August. But when the new sitting members of the island’s legislatures took their seats for the first time last week, it became glaring obvious that little support for a PEI online casino exists beyond the ALC and cabinet.

As the PEI Legislature opened Thursday for its first full sitting, members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) made a point to question the overall responsibility of the plan; not just how it could negatively impact vulnerable members of the community, but to what degree the King government actually took when approving the plan in the first place.

MLAs Raise Questions About Online Casino in PEI

The day’s events began with a bevy of MLAs from each party—including the presiding Conservative party—standing in question of the proposed launch of an online casino; something the ALC has spent an entire decade tirelessly lobbying for. Opposition Leader Peter Bevan-Baker kiced things off by raising the issue of responsibility for the people of PEI.

MLA Bevan-Baker immediately suggested that the majority of the millions of dollars PEI is hoping to secure will come from low-income individuals. He asked PEI Premier Dennis King why his government is so “intent on raising revenues on the backs of our most vulnerable population.”

Premier King responded with the same argument he’s maintained all along; that regulated online gambling is better for the province than the current state of affairs, in which Islanders already conduct iGaming with offshore websites that are not locally regulated.

If Islanders are choosing to do gaming online, that they would do it through a platform that is regulated through Atlantic Lottery Corporation and not some of these bootleg operations,” he said.

“If Islanders are choosing to do gaming online, that they would do it through a platform that is regulated through Atlantic Lottery Corporation and not some of these bootleg operations,” said King. He argued that, “all the resources and taxes go offshore and we can’t figure out who’s actually using the service and how we can help them if they need it.”

That response triggered the most controversial questioning of the day…

Who Did PEI Consult With Before Approving the PEI Online Casino?

When Bevan-Baker posed this question, King seemed to evade a direct response. He spoke again of “bootleggers”; their unrelenting presence on the island, and the undeniable fact that they continue to offer booze through unlicensed establishments.

“I think we all would agree that there are still bootleggers in Prince Edward Island,” the Premier bandied. “I would prefer, if you are partaking in the purchase of liquor, that you do it through a regulated environment because it gives us a better opportunity to identify those who might have challenges, for example. It’s the same thing with gaming.”

Unwavering in the debate, MLA Bevan-Baker reiterated his position.

“My question was, ‘Who did you consult with?’, and the only answer was ‘bootleggers’.”

“So, maybe you consulted with bootleggers, I don’t know, but you sure didn’t consult with the people you needed to,” the MLA whipped back. “We know that nobody from the mental health department of Health PEI was approached, which is astonishing given the negative impact that we know gambling has on vulnerable Islanders.”

By the time he was done lashing the plan, members of the PC and Liberal party began casting their doubt on the issue. Backbench PC and current Government House Leader Sidney MacEwan voiced concerns that Islanders struggling with addiction would be especially vulnerable.

“That’s a real concern for me. It’s a concern for my constituents,” said MacEwan. “If I’m a problem gambler and I’ve taken the steps to quit, and all of a sudden, I see it right in front of me: just log back in, just log back in…”

Liberals Take Shots at King/ALC Online Casino Plan for PEI

The concerns of the Liberals were issued in the form of a motion, calling for the PEI cabinet to “reconsider the potential impacts their decision could have on islanders”. They called for a delay in implementation of the PEI online casino launch until such time when increased support measures for problem gamblers could be suggested and reviewed by the appropriate legislative committee.

King spoke to the media following the sitting, at which time he conceded to the call for additional support for problem gamblers, as well as a review of responsible gaming strategy of PEI; a textual strategy that has remained unchanged since its introduction in 2008.

“I think all of those things are important,” King told reporters. “We have to be realistic as a government that, if more and more resources are needed to help individuals who might be impacted we have to be ready to do that. And I am.”