What are the advantages of legal online gambling?

Benefits for players through legal online gambling

If gambling is so dangerous, why is it legal? So far, Canadian players had to ask themselves this question. Lawmakers argued that gambling laws also aim to protect players.

As a result, the banned online games of chance were considered more dangerous, but the question was: does the danger come from the form of the game itself, or from the lack of regulation.

To the advantage of the players, the regulation can now provide clarity here. Legal online gambling in Canada offers players the following advantages :

More security through licenses from a regulatory authority

The legal situation regarding online gambling caused uncertainty among players for a long time. The basis of the legislation is the state monopoly on the organization of games of chance.

The new regulators per state in Canada can issue a license if the relevant requirements are met. This should end the gray area and eliminate the distinction between a regulated and an unregulated market.

In the future, players will be able to rely on an existing Canadian license : Yes, I can play legally here. Check out the legal stated per Canadian Province:

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Ontario
• Quebec

Player protection and addiction prevention

It is still the same priority in Canadian gambling legislation not only to restrict illegal gambling, but also to ensure player protection and effectively combat gambling addiction .

Due to the legal regulation, the gambling supervisory authority per Canadian province have the possibility to intervene in online gambling with rules and to adapt them if necessary, as is the case in other regulated markets.

Gain in quality of casinos and life

Damage to those affected and the economy as a result of the consequences of gambling addiction can be measured and expressed in figures. It is far more difficult to measure the positive effects of gambling, even if this has been examined in studies.

However, it can be said that only a fraction of the Canadian population and gamblers are affected by addiction problems. The availability of online gambling provides entertainment value for the many casual gamblers. Pure monetary gain is just one of the reasons for playing. A broader range of gambling options gives players more choices, especially when it includes games with a social component such as online poker.

Legalizing online gambling will give gambling a new reputation and a certain degree of normalization for the legal online casinos in Canada. The concept of the gambler oscillates between the extremes of the addict with a disorder when the gambler loses and the ruthless money-hungry gambler when he wins.

A regulated market can enhance the entertainment value of casual gamers and remove the stigma attached to the image of the gamer.

Crime prevention

Available gambling offerings can have an impact on crime and a goal of regulation here is also prevention and reduction. Legal gaming should push back unlicensed providers, crime related to gambling addiction should be prevented or reduced and other crimes such as money laundering or fraud should be prevented.

In the case of ancillary crime related to gambling, research focuses primarily on pathological gamblers. Addiction to gambling is expensive, so addicts can commit crimes of acquisition in order to be able to continue to satisfy their gambling instinct.

Numerous studies show that pathological gamblers commit crimes such as property crime to finance their addiction. Studies in Canada show an increased delinquency among addicts. Even if other risk factors such as impulsiveness have to be taken into account, it can be assumed that curbing pathological and problematic gaming behavior will lead to a reduction in associated crime.

Online gambling involves potential for fraud by providers or players. By intervening in the regulated gameplay, players could gain an advantage. Organizers could fake chances of winning that are not real or refuse payments.

This is where regulation comes into play, for example by imposing security measures on the gaming industry to protect player accounts and funds and to ward off attacks on the gaming process .

At the same time, it is up to the gambling supervisory authority to check that gaming operations are regulated so that players can rely on transparent and fair offers.

Providers can use online gambling for money laundering and smuggle black money into the legal economic cycle through electronic manipulation. This is possible, for example, if player stakes are reported as higher.

Regulation forces legal providers to take applicable tax regulations into account. Gambling regulators can prevent the risk of money laundering by subjecting companies to a thorough audit when they issue licenses.

Legal certainty for providers

Suppressing the black market benefits not only gamers and the general public, but also legal software providers. A declining market share of illegal providers is a key indicator of the success of regulation and takes the pressure off legal online casinos and gambling providers to compete against unlicensed sites.

This is linked to the expectation that in a regulated market the gambling supervisory authority or the state will ensure legal certainty and take consistent action against non-licensed providers, unlike in the past.