Convicted felons to be banned from Québec casinos

The provincial Government of Québec has decided that individuals who have received convictions for certain crimes will be denied entry into casinos.

The specifics

The individuals who will be subject to this ban are those convicted of or who have pleaded guilty to, crimes that could be deemed to compromise casino integrity or undermine public trust.

These crimes include money laundering, forgery, charging criminal interest rates, and violations of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

Deloitte’s audit

This re-regulation has come in lieu of a 2021 audit by Deloitte, which investigated the use of casinos by organised crime operations. This audit was catalysed by reports of organised crime members receiving specialised treatment at the Casino de Montréal.

The audit focused particularly on aspects such as money laundering, loan-sharking, Loto-Québec’s loyalty programme as well as exploring the existing measures intended to ensure the security and independence of casino employees.

Exemptions and exceptions

Announced in the official Gazette, the new regulation will apply to all legal casinos throughout Québec, with the exception of those in Indigenous communities.

These casinos are owned by Loto-Québec, the province’s gaming authority, and are not applying the ban as the government is aiming to uphold responsible gaming and financial integrity standards in collaboration with the authority.

Regulatory controls

Further from the Deloitte audit, it was also recommended that Loto-Québec should be granted the ability to ban individuals connected to criminal activities within itself and its venues.

An unsigned statement from Loto-Québec on the matter stated:

“This additional measure supports the many other security measures already in place to combat money laundering at our establishments and ensure that our casinos are safe entertainment venues.”

A spokeswoman for Québec Finance Minister Eric Girard made this statement on the regulatory partnership:

“Loto-Québec and the government are aiming for the highest standards of responsible gaming and financial integrity. We have confidence in Loto-Québec to implement these new measures.”

The regulation is to be implemented within 6 weeks.

SiGMA Balkans/CIS

As a globally recognised nexus for networking, SiGMA Group sets its sights next to the Balkans this September, when the SIGMA Balkans/CIS Summit heads to Limassol Cyprus.

A host of networking opportunities and industry-leading knowledge will be emanating from the much-anticipated event which will pack panel discussions, keynote speeches, start-up pitches and much more into 3 days in the diverse Cypriot city.