Quebec on the move to legalize online gambling

Loto-Quebec, Quebec’s government gaming operator, has announced some time ago that it was planning to stat providing online gambling services. All it just needed was an approval coming from the higher echelons in the government and it seems to be just getting that.

Raymond Bachand, the province’s Finance Minister, has confirmed that the process of legalizing online gambling has already started. In a move to rid Quebec of illegal online gambling, the cabinet has already pushed forward the proposal for a legal online gambling system.

Quebec will be employing a similar structure to that of Sweden for players’ protection and other activities once Loto-Quebec starts operating online gambling. Sweden is currently one of the leading countries when it comes to online poker.

Current reports say that Canadians spend $80 million annually on Internet poker. Officials are hoping that the figures will rise once people would realize that they are dealing with a safe site.

Bachand projects that by 2012, the still proposed online gambling will be able to generate $50 million in annual revenue. He is also foreseeing that peak revenue will not be felt right away.