New Brunswick Considers Commercial iGaming to Address Unregulated Revenue Losses
New Brunswick is reviewing its iGaming monopoly to counter CA$200 million in annual losses to unregulated sites, per ALC data. The province is eyeing Ontario’s 2022 open market, which hit CA$396.3 million in August revenue with 50 operators, and Alberta’s July 2026 expansion. Quebec’s election adds regional momentum toward licensed private operators.
SCCG Take — Significant unregulated leakage will compel Atlantic provinces to adopt commercial licensing to restore channelization and tax revenue, building on proven models in Ontario and Alberta.
New Brunswick is exploring options to legalize commercial iGaming and open its market to private operators. Finance Minister René Legacy confirmed to the Telegraph-Journal that Premier Susan Holt’s administration is reviewing the provincial regulatory model due to millions lost annually to unlicensed platforms.
The Atlantic Lottery Corporation currently holds the iGaming monopoly for New Brunswick and three other Atlantic provinces. It splits profits across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Residents attempting to reach Ontario-licensed sites face geo-blocking and redirection to grey-market domains run by the same parent companies.
Revenue Losses and Channelization Data
Dallas McCready, ALC president and CEO, stated that unregulated online gambling sites draw approximately CA$200 million ($142.3 million) in revenue away from Atlantic Canada every year. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, the ALC lifted its market share of total regional online betting and gaming activity to 34% from 22%, with a long-term goal of 50%.
TRM Public Affairs research shows 25% of the CA$921 million ($655.29 million) available market in Atlantic Canada has been channeled into regulated channels. The remaining 75% equates to CA$691 million ($491.6 million) in unregulated gaming revenue. This produces an estimated CA$167.6 million ($119.25 million) in lost government revenue across the region.
Ontario pioneered the open commercial model in 2022 and recorded CA$396.3 million ($281.54 million) in total non-adjusted gross gaming revenue for August, with nearly 50 licensed operators. Alberta expanded its regulated framework on July 13, 2026, and now has over 50 operator sites live. Similar momentum is building in Quebec after the Parti Québécois election victory and the end of the prior monopoly-focused government.
Revenue Recovery Prospects for Atlantic Provinces
The figures reported by Casino.org News illustrate the direct pressure on provincial monopolies when unregulated supply captures three-quarters of demand. New Brunswick’s review aligns with the measurable channelization gains seen elsewhere once private operators enter under license. The ALC’s improved share and explicit 50% target indicate that regulated competition, rather than enforcement alone, has become the tested route to recapture both market activity and the associated CA$167.6 million in foregone public revenue. Provincial officials will now weigh licensing design against the ALC’s multi-province role.
Reporting: Casino.org News
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
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