Allan MacMaster, Nova Scotia’s Finance Minister, recently said that the introduction of an online casino is still on the table. Although he still hasn’t made the final decision, it could happen shortly. He added that, even if the government gave the green light, they need to consider a lot of other issues first.

The Crown agency launched a similar online casino in New Brunswick, planning to introduce digital gaming websites in all four Atlantic provinces. In February 2021, the former Liberal government approved the move to welcome an online casino to Nova Scotia. However, the change in the province’s authorities put the process on hold.

According to MacMaster, the new government has dealt with more pressing issues, like housing and health care. He added that they would need more time to assess the proposal before approving such a project. 

During the interview, MacMaster argued that gambling brings significant revenue to the province each year and that adding a digital option would be an excellent new source of funds. However, he also has certain concerns regarding gambling in general. Although the Crown corporation assured that players would enjoy a safe gambling environment, MacMaster is still worried about player protection in the online sector.

On top of that, many officials and locals of Prince Edward Island weren’t too excited about the possibility of having an online casino operating in the area. One of the most vocal opponents to the idea was David Hodgins, a psychology professor from the University of Calgary. He said that introducing a digital casino to minimize the number of offshore casino users would only aggravate the conditions of many problem gamblers. 

Therefore, with many aspects to consider, the Finance Minister of Nova Scotia still hasn’t decided whether to launch an online casino in the province.