Gambling Weekly News Summary in Canada – 2025/12/13
Fennica Gaming Expands into Canada with Loto-Québec Partnership
Online casino games developer Fennica Gaming has announced its entry into the Canadian-regulated market by partnering with Loto-Québec, the province’s government-regulated online gambling platform.
Under the agreement, Fennica Gaming will supply its portfolio of gaming titles to the Loto-Québec platform. The launch also coincided with celebrations from both Veikkaus teams in Helsinki and virtually in Montreal.
“Expanding into Canadian market and to Québec is an important milestone for us. We aim to scale rapidly and to deliver high-quality content to regulated markets. This launch reflects our commitment to long-term growth and our ability to adapt to diverse market needs. We are excited to start the mutual journey with our customer success team, to secure the right offering and successful sustainable business growth of our new Friends in Canada,” said Joni Hovi, SVP Customers and Marketing at Fennica Gaming.
Fennica Gaming also commended the integration process with Loto-Québec, citing that its precision and speed helped Fennica meet local regulations proficiently.
Slot Revenue No Longer Used to Fund Horse Racing, BC Government Decides
The British Columbia (BC) Government has decided that slot revenue generated from Hastings Casino and Elements Casino Surrey should no longer be used to fund horse racing at the province’s remaining horse track, the Hastings Racecourse.
The decision was issued in a letter from Nina Kringer, Solicitor General of Public Safety, who cited that although revenue from slots brought economic, social, and many other benefits to horse racing, concerns were raised over the financial sustainability of the industry.
Kreiger noted that, moving forward, the Horse Racing BC’s April 2025 Industry Plan could offer a potential relief for the industry but would require significant government funding for the next three years. She added that BC’s financial situation would make the level of support necessary “unfeasible.”
The revenue that was generated by these two casinos in British Columbia, which Kreiger noted was between $8 million and $10 million annually, would also be redirected to the British Columbia Lottery Corporation’s general revenue fund instead.
Lawmakers Restart Discussion on First Nations Gaming Rights
A bill, introduced by Senator Scott Tannas, proposes to amend the criminal code to affirm the governing body of First Nations as the exclusive authority of gaming on its land.
S-241 would amend the criminal code and alter the Indian Act, giving exclusive control of conducting, managing, and licensing gaming on tribal lands to the First Nation.
At the bill’s second reading, Tannas said, “Simply put, the bill affirms First Nations governments’ jurisdiction and power to govern gambling activities on their reserve lands and does so in a way that matches identically provincial jurisdiction and powers in their respective jurisdictions.”
After Bill S-268 was introduced in 2023 and never progressed beyond the committee, S-241 was created as its replacement.
While it was being considered, the Standing Senate Committee on Indigenous Peoples was authorized to examine the bill and give its input. While the bill still has a long way to go since its introduction, there are questions about what would happen if it were implemented, with Tannas suggesting that the First Nations could choose to negotiate with provinces to remain under provincial jurisdiction or join a self-regulation authority.
Ziv (Steve) Chen
CEO at Major League Content
Ziv has been working in the iGaming industry for more than two decades, serving in senior roles in software developers like Playtech and Microgaming. He then followed his lifelong passion of writing and became a fulltime journalist, covering casinos, sports betting, legislation and other gambling topics and news with a specialty in North America.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziv-steve-chen-94b01b5/
