This genie is out of the bottle

The popular Vancouver Sun columnist David Baines renewed his call for online gambling regulation in Canada over the weekend, using the re-launch of the Bodog brand in the Canadian market as a peg on which to hang his appeal.
Baines opined that Canada is losing millions of dollars to offshore gambling operators, a flow that could be kept within the country if the authorities would recognise that the genie is out of the bottle and online gambling is here to stay.
“Insulated from prosecution, Bodog has now joined a host of other offshore Internet gambling companies that are stripping millions of dollars from the Canadian economy every year,” writes Baines after explaining how the brand has located in Kahnawake out of reach of Canadian authorities.
“As I argued in my August 21 column, when it comes to Internet gambling, the genie is out of the bottle. There is no sense trying to eradicate it. The most sensible approach is to regulate it. That way, we can make sure the games are fair, operators are of good character, and taxes are collected,” Baines continues, adding that moves are afoot in the neighbouring USA to legalise online gambling, which could unlock $63 billion in tax revenues over the next decade.
“It’s time that Canadian politicians accepted the reality of the situation and developed similar legislation to gain control over this outlaw industry and capture whatever benefits it can provide,” Baines concludes.

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