Nova Scotia Says Online Casino Expansion Talks Are “Underway Right Now”

^{Nova Scotia’s finance minister says talks on expanding online gambling are under way, but no decision has been made. (Image: Robert Harding/Alamy)}

Nova Scotia’s government is discussing the expansion of its online casino and sports betting market that could see it follow the lead of Ontario and Alberta and open the door to private operators, Finance Minister John Lohr said this week.

Lohr told reporters that conversations are “underway right now,” CBC News reported on Oct. 29.

He stressed that the province has not committed to an expansion and is only assessing its options.

“When we do make decisions, we’ll certainly let you know,” Lohr said.

For now, regulated online casino games and sports betting are available to Nova Scotians only through Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC), the Crown corporation owned by the four Atlantic provinces.

Though a majority of online gamblers in the province access internationally-licensed 'grey market' casinos.

What Lohr Said

Lohr said he is watching Ontario and Alberta, the two Canadian provinces with an open iGaming market, closely.

Ontario opened its market to private gambling operators, such as DraftKings and FanDuel, in 2022, and Alberta followed on July 13.

He said Nova Scotians are already wagering on Ontario-regulated and offshore sites, which takes potential tax revenue out of the province.

Lohr called easy access to gambling sites a “significant issue,” pointing to problems already documented in Ontario.

CBC News reported on Oct. 21 that the number of Ontarians showing signs of problem gambling has roughly tripled since 2018, to nearly 130,000 from about 43,000.

Lohr said he is personally uneasy about gambling ads reaching children, but called the industry “in a time of incredible transformation.”

In a separate CBC News investigation, about 95% of roughly 3,000 gambling messages shown during seven playoff hockey games featuring Canadian teams carried no harm reduction or age warning.

Lohr said any decision would affect not only provincial finances but also ALC, which launched its Nova Scotia online casino in July 2022.

Opposition Urges Caution

CBC News reported that New Democratic Party Leader Claudia Chender does not want the government more involved in online gambling.

Chender said mental health supports for gambling have eroded since the government entered the business. She called online gambling the “cigarettes of my generation” and said the province should “tread very, very carefully.”

Interim Liberal Leader Iain Rankin has said the province must conduct a risk assessment before expanding gambling services, pointing to other provinces where concerns and emergency room visits have grown.

What Nova Scotia’s Rules Say Now

Under the Atlantic Lottery Regulations, only the provincial gaming corporation may conduct or manage an online game in Nova Scotia and only ALC may operate one on the corporation’s behalf.

ALC returned $492 million in profit to the four Atlantic provinces in 2025-26, including $164.5 million to Nova Scotia.

The Crown corporation says its share of regional online betting and gaming activity rose to 35% from 34% the year before.

ALC estimates that about $250 million a year leaves the region through grey market and offshore gaming sites that aren’t licensed in the province and therefore pay no tax.

Lobbying and New Brunswick’s Review

The Canadian Online Gaming Association (COGA), an industry group, hired two lobbyists in Nova Scotia on Oct. 7 to push for a regulated market open to private operators, the Investigative Journalism Foundation reported on Oct. 26.

According to the filings, COGA wants Nova Scotia to support a regulated iGaming market and plans to present recommended guiding principles for a future regulatory framework.

The foundation said the two lobbyists are former federal Conservative staffers at Endgame Strategies, the firm COGA also hired in its push for a private market in Alberta.

Troy Ross of TRM Public Affairs, who specializes in iGaming policy, is also registered to lobby in Nova Scotia for COGA.

COGA has also registered lobbyists federally, in New Brunswick and in British Columbia, the foundation reported.

New Brunswick Finance Minister René Legacy has said his government is “exploring options” for regulating private online operators, according to the Telegraph-Journal.

In New Brunswick, as in Nova Scotia, ALC is the only regulated online gambling option for players.

On Oct. 27, New Brunswick also tabled Bill 8, which would let it regulate live dealer casino games run through the government-controlled system.

Nova Scotia has not said when it could make a decision.