Chiefs to weigh pros, cons of online gaming business
By PAUL TURENNE, Winnipeg Sun
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs will discuss the possible opportunities and potential drawbacks of getting into the online gaming business at its gaming committee meeting Thursday.
AMC Grand Chief Ron Evans said the provincial government, which last week confirmed it is considering entering the online gambling business, has not yet approached the AMC with any offers to become involved in any Internet-based gaming plans. However, Evans said the government’s public musings on the subject last week have prompted the chiefs to start discussing it.
“I think we’d be open to learning more about it to see what our position is once we have that information,” Evans said. “Obviously it’s happening and it’s not being regulated. I think it would be good for us to know what impact it’s having on the existing casinos and gaming operations.”
Evans said he would also like to learn more about the potential impacts on addiction and problem gambling.
The AMC’s chiefs gaming committee will have the opportunity to discuss those kinds of things this week, as the item will be included on the agenda for the committee’s meeting this Thursday, Evans said. Any recommendations made by that committee would have to be approved by the larger assembly at its annual meeting in July before the AMC could formally decide whether it’s interested in getting involved with Internet gaming, he said.
In 1997 the Bostrom Report recommended the province approve five aboriginal casinos in Manitoba.
To date, only two — the Aseneskak Casino near The Pas and the South Beach Casino at Brokenhead Ojibway Nation — have opened their doors, while a third known as Spirit Sands Casino is expected to be up and running on land adjacent to Spruce Woods Provincial Park within a couple of years. Evans said the work on that casino is the primary focus of the gaming committee these days, but did acknowledge online gaming is an area that demands some further exploration.
Last week Manitoba Lotteries Minister Steve Ashton said the province is considering either establishing its own gambling website or partnering with other provinces to establish a shared one. The site would be regulated by the province and would therefore include controls like age checks and transfer limits, and would also bring in revenue for the government.
Ashton said he expects to make the decision before the end of the year.
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