The Atlantic Lottery Corp. made a monumental announcement on August 27 of last year: after years of providing parlays, the company was now offering single-event sports betting in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.
There was, however, one name missing from the announcement. While Nova Scotia is one of the shareholders in the Atlantic Lottery, the province’s residents were not among those the company said would be offered single-game wagering under its Pro•Line brand.
And that remains the case, as single-game wagering is still not available via the Atlantic Lottery in Nova Scotia. Moreover, single-game wagering is not being offered in Nova Scotia at all by any online sportsbook that's been authorized by the province.
“This is under consideration and discussions are ongoing to help determine what approach Nova Scotia will be taking,” government spokesperson Gary Andrea told Covers in a recent email.
Although provincial governments were only relatively recently permitted to offer single-game betting — which was due to federal lawmakers finally passing a bill allowing provinces to do so last summer, ending Canada's parlay-preferred model of sports gambling — Nova Scotia is the only one without a legal channel for such wagering.
Nova Scotia’s more gradual process in determining its approach to single-game betting doesn't mean the province’s residents aren’t doing it, either.
A key reason for the passage of Bill C-218 by federal Parliament last summer was to capture some of the Canadian betting business that was going to offshore and illegal bookmakers, which was estimated to be worth billions of dollars in wagering. Those sportsbooks may be regulated somewhere, but not by Nova Scotian authorities.
“Many Atlantic Canadians are already taking part in single-event sports wagering through the numerous unauthorized sports betting websites that are actively marketing in our region,” Patrick Daigle, Atlantic Lottery president and CEO, said in the August 27 press release. “By offering this option to Pro•Line players, Atlantic Lottery will keep more sports betting revenues within our region while offering world-class responsible gambling features to players.”
Electoral effects
The lottery also noted at the same time that it’s up to each province to decide which products get offered to players and how they will be made available within their borders.
"Atlantic Lottery is working with its provincial shareholders on the next steps to be able to provide this option across Atlantic Canada," the company added.
But Nova Scotia also had a provincial election in mid-August of last year, just before the amendments to the Criminal Code that allow for single-game sports wagering came into effect.
The election resulted in a new, Progressive Conservative government that must still grapple with the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and that (perhaps partly as a result of the pandemic) has yet to settle on a decision for singles.
“Single-event sports betting is currently being discussed and assessed with the new government in Nova Scotia,” Atlantic Lottery spokesperson Greg Weston told Covers in December.
What, if any, other approaches Nova Scotia may be considering beyond Atlantic Lottery’s Pro•Line products remains to be seen. For instance, there are casinos in the province that could someday be home to sportsbooks, but there's been no sign yet that they will be.
There is also the possibility that Nova Scotia could go with a broader approach; in Ontario, as an example, a competitive market for internet-based sports betting and casino gambling is being developed. Again, though, there’s been no indication yet that such a model is under consideration in Nova Scotia at this time.
A pandemic pick-me-up?
Meanwhile, Atlantic Lottery may get a boost from the addition of single-game wagering to its business, which was dealt a blow by the pandemic.
The company announced in October that it had returned $346.5 million to its four provincial shareholders for the year ending March 31, 2021, down $48.9 million compared to the previous fiscal year. The drop-off in profit was mostly due to safety measures put in place to combat COVID-19, including a temporary shutdown of operations in the lottery's “destination” line of business.
“Atlantic Lottery continues to invest in its digital channels and is working to modernize our player experiences so we can continue to compete in this highly competitive market and maximize future profit returns,” Daigle said in a release. “This focus helped us to pivot during COVID-19 and identify ways to continue providing our players with exceptional experiences despite service disruptions.”
