Canadian on-line betting site under investigation

March 1, 2004

Canadian on-line betting site under investigation

Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Canada’s federal Justice Department is investigating Woodbine Entertainment Group’s new on-line betting site, as critics demand it be shut down.

Only provincial governments are authorized under the Criminal Code to run Internet gambling.

The more than 2,000 betting sites available on-line tend to be based offshore or on aboriginal reserves.

Justice Department spokesman Sylvain Beaudry confirms the site for the Toronto-based Woodbine group — HorsePlayer Interactive — debuted last month without changes to the Criminal Code.

Mr. Beaudry would not comment further.

Unlike provincially run casinos and lotteries, horse-racing is regulated by the Canadian Parimutuel Agency under the federal Agriculture Department.

The agency says its regulations were changed last year to allow bets to be made using “any telecommunication device.”