Bachand defends online gambling idea
Posted by Carl Barnett on 10 Mar 2010 at 09:03
In Quebec finance minister Raymond Bachand has found himself having to defend plans to introduce online gambling elements to the state’s Loto provision. Bachand pointed to other countries’ and their success with regulating online gambling as a model for the Quebec plans to follow.
Speaking to MontrealGazette.com, he said: ‘It’s not for monetary reasons that Sweden and Great Britain and the Northern European countries have gone into that.
The role of the state is to channel gambling in a responsible manner.’ Responding to the public health officials and their concerns about the residents of the state, Bachand offered: ‘We respect their opinion. They are saying there is a risk there.’
‘Our role in government is to take into account all points of view.’ He said that the state could not ignore the issue of online gambling, and would not be able to from now on.
Speaking to MontrealGazette.com he said: ‘The phenomenon of gambling is there. The internet is there.’
States in North America are currently experiencing considerable pressure as regards the regulation of online casinos.
