New Brunswick is examining whether to regulate private online gambling operators, potentially moving away from the publicly controlled system in which Atlantic Lottery Corporation is the only authorized provider. The review covers online casino games and sports betting, but the province has made no final decision and has not published licensing rules or an implementation timetable.
Finance Minister René Legacy confirmed to the Telegraph-Journal that the government was exploring options for regulating private online operators. He said the province was monitoring approaches in other jurisdictions while considering how to maintain a safe, responsible and appropriately regulated environment.
The change would be a substantial shift for a market now managed by Atlantic Lottery. ALC.ca is the only legal, regulated online gambling platform in New Brunswick, while Atlantic Lottery is also the only government-authorized sports-betting option across the Atlantic region.
The review has emerged as provincial gambling revenues have weakened amid competition from online sites. New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation recorded $179.6 million in gross revenue in the reported year, $5.7 million below the government’s forecast and $8 million below its level two years earlier. The province forecast $183.7 million for the current fiscal year, down from $187.6 million in 2024-25.
Legacy attributed the decline to increased competition. The government’s pre-budget document said regulating online gaming companies that currently operate without provincial regulation could increase tax revenue, while framing the policy as a means to oversee and safeguard existing gambling activity rather than encourage more betting.
Bet365, BetMGM and FanDuel are among offshore sportsbooks available to New Brunswick residents in what the Telegraph-Journal described as a grey area. Atlantic Lottery is working on live sports-betting options and other programmes as the province considers whether some sites already serving the market could instead be regulated.
The wider Atlantic Lottery results illustrate the pressure on the existing model, although those figures cover all four shareholder provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. The corporation returned $492 million in profit to the provinces in 2025-26, $10.3 million below budget and $6.7 million below the previous year.
Atlantic Lottery estimated that about $250 million in betting activity leaves Atlantic Canada annually through illegal operators. Its online betting and gaming revenue, including iCasino, iBingo and online sports betting, reached $144.8 million, ahead of a $140.2 million target, and its share of regional online activity rose to 35% from 34%. But the value of sports-betting wagers fell 5.6%, alongside a 10% drop in active players.
Officials are examining Ontario and Alberta as possible models. Ontario opened a competitive provincial iGaming market in 2022, while Alberta launched its commercial market in July after approving more than 50 operators. Any New Brunswick commercial framework would need to establish rules for licensing, tax, regulatory oversight and the relationship between private firms and the regional lottery system.
A private market would not automatically remove access to unregulated sites, leaving enforcement, advertising standards, identity verification and responsible-gambling protections as central design questions. Molly Cormier of the Canadian Alliance for Responsible Gaming said provinces need strong safeguards, accountability, oversight and enforcement regardless of the model adopted.
Atlantic Lottery spokesperson Greg Weston said any change to Atlantic Canada’s online gaming landscape would ultimately be decided by the corporation’s provincial shareholders.
