Live dealer casino games could soon join New Brunswick’s online gambling offering as the province looks to strengthen its regulated market against growing competition from unlicensed sites.
Finance Minister René Legacy introduced Bill 8 on October 27, proposing changes to the Gaming Control Act that would give the government authority to regulate online live casino games for the first time. The bill has received its first and second readings but has not yet reached committee review. Any specific operating rules would follow later.
The move gives Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) a potential route into a popular segment of online gaming, where players can join live-hosted blackjack, roulette and other table games through desktop and mobile platforms.
Live Dealer Games Already Gaining Ground Across Canada
New Brunswick currently permits online slots, non-live table games, bingo, instant-win games and sports betting through Atlantic Lottery, which serves as the region’s authorized online gambling provider. Live dealer games, however, fall outside the province’s existing regulatory framework.
The proposed amendment would address that gap at a time when the format is gaining traction in Canada’s regulated markets. Alberta provides a useful example. During the first two and a half months of its regulated iGaming market, players wagered $284 million on live dealer casino games, representing around 10% of all wagers placed on licensed commercial platforms.
That level of activity gives New Brunswick a potential growth opportunity, particularly as online casino players gain access to a wider range of products elsewhere in the country.
Atlantic Lottery Vs. Unlicensed Sites
The push for live casino also comes down to competition. Atlantic Lottery has warned that unregulated gambling websites are reshaping the regional market.
Expanding its game selection and technology could help ALC offer players a more compelling regulated alternative. Legacy has said the government wants the lottery to keep pace with changing player preferences and the growing promotion of competing online gambling options. Bill 8 would not introduce private operators or open New Brunswick to a commercial iGaming model. It would instead give the province the authority to regulate live casino within its existing framework.
A Bigger iGaming Overhaul Could Follow
Live dealer regulation may be only one part of New Brunswick’s evolving approach to online gambling. Legacy recently confirmed that the government is exploring options for regulating private online operators, with Ontario and Alberta among the models under consideration.
Those discussions remain separate from Bill 8, but they signal that the province is examining how its market could evolve as unregulated sites capture a substantial share of regional play. Progressive Conservative member Don Monahan has also urged the government to treat the bill as the beginning of a wider strategy rather than its endpoint.
