Online Gambling’s Legality in Prince Edward Island
Online casino law in Canada’s smallest province is confusing at best, but land-based gambling has a rich history in the area. There are two land-based casinos on Prince Edward Island (PEI), while all gambling in the province is regulated by the Atlantic Lottery Commission (ALC), a joint venture with New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia.
It is this Commission that can license online casinos to operate within Prince Edward Island, and as yet, it has not done so. The Commission’s gaming site offers keno, lottery, and some other games, but casino options have not yet been added. There is talk of this changing. In fact, at the time of writing, there is a debate between government ministers about whether online casinos should be allowed to operate from a PEI base as long as they run through the ALC.
While the general consensus is that the decision will be made in favour soon, at the time of writing the only options for online casino gambling in Prince Edward Island are through offshore sites.
‘The Grey Zone’
The Grey Zone refers to a loophole in Canadian online casino law which means that while local governments can regulate online casino operators based within each province, those based offshore are legally allowed to offer services in the country.
There have been attempts to change this, most recently in Quebec, but as yet there is no sign that the law will change any time soon. As a result, casino players in Prince Edward Island and throughout Canada can enjoy online casino play at excellent international sites including PlayOJO, Royal Panda, and many more.