Alberta, the Canadian province, has been actively moving forward to ensure that it slashes the amount of red tape companies have to jump through in order to start offering legitimate iGaming products in the province.

Alberta Seeks to Expand Online Gambling to Private Companies

Yet, for the time being, the only legitimate online casino games you can get are offered by Play Alberta, run by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC). Many other brands claim to technically be offering grey area products, similar to what the case was in Ontario prior to the changes in the law in 2022, Play Alberta alleges they are illegal.

So, what if, argues Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dalley Nally, this could change? According to Nally, Alberta can transform itself into an iGaming hub, in a manner similar to Ontario.

“We have low corporate taxes, streamlined regulations, and high disposable incomes. These conditions will allow us to establish ourselves as a premier destination for the igaming industry,” Nally explained.

The provincial government is said to be actively involved with negotiations throughout June and July in order to establish a gambling regulatory framework, that will focus on the overall online gambling strategy, will also foresee safeguards for responsible gambling, and also address any lingering fear about Indigenous revenue generation.

In a statement for the government, a spokesperson said that the expansion of iGaming in Alberta is an important step forward for the province and in the best interest of Albertans.

“As part of our policy development process, and as we look at moving to a more open regulated online gaming market, we will continue to examine best practices from other jurisdictions, including Ontario,” the statement added.

Regulated Gambling Market to Get a Boost in Alberta

This should give a significant boost to the regulated market in the province. Presently, Play Alberta accounts for an estimated 45% of the total market, with the rest going to offshore websites which are not obligated to pay tax locally and are therefore not bound by the same rules, giving them more leeway to offer better games, jackpots, promotions, and more.

Since it established Play Alberta, the AGLC had to address a legal challenge as to whether the website was actually legal. Courts decided that it was in 2023, and Ontario has just closed the book on a similar challenge to the online gambling operators involving casino games of chance.

As to the AGLC’s view of expanding the regulated market, the regulator is very much aligned with what Nally thinks. However, lawmakers should also acknowledge that delays in introducing a regulated iGaming market leave it in a state of limbo.

“But until such time as that happens, the remainder of the market is really the illegal market that’s capturing the remainder of that share,” AGLC VP of Gaming Dan Keene said.

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The famous online streamer and social media personality, Felix “xQc,” announced during a recent stream that he was kicked out from a casino he visited in Canada. The star that streams online casino games on Twitch’s rival platform, Kick, said that after a birthday dinner, he visited a casino to celebrate and have fun with his family. xQc recalled playing with some CA$30,000 ($21,700) with his family members before going to a teller to withdraw more money.

At that point, the streamer claimed that the casino employee requested his information for another time. xQc said in his recent stream that he had already given his information twice and even submitted four tax forms with all of his details. Then, he said, the employee wanted to speak to their boss. While the whole encounter was taking way longer than xQc expected, at some point, three casino security guards came in front of him and told him that he was banned.

The streamer explained: “Three security guards come up and they are like: ‘Yo dude, you gotta go, you are banned.’ Like bad mood, rude a** m***********s, just say, you are banned!” He was then asked to leave the venue but before doing so, asked the security guards for more information on why he was banned. xQc also asked if he could tell his family at the gaming table that he would have to leave.

“Went to the Montréal casino after my birthday dinner to spend some time with my family. Split small amounts to each member so we could play table games and laugh. Security came and dragged me out in front of everyone because of a 2022 radio Canada clickbait article. Cringe,“

reads a post on X released by xQc

According to the streamer on Kick, going to the entrance of the casino, he met with seven security guards. xQc asked if he could talk to the casino’s “big boss.” Shortly after, the manager of the venue arrived and took him to a corridor that looked like an employee-only area. There, xQc once again questioned why he was banned, considering that he wanted to celebrate his holiday with his family and place some wagers.

Then, the “big boss” told the streamer that in 2022, an article emerged online that alleged he was addicted to gambling. “An employee of the casino or our online system banned you from playing online,” xQc claimed he was told by the casino’s manager.

The social media star went on to criticize the gambling regulations in Quebec. He explained the monopoly model of Lotto Quebec, saying that they run all gambling activities in the province.

Earlier this month, xQc revealed that his total wagers on Stake are getting close to $3 billion. Undoubtedly, the streamer walked a long way from his $40 bets per spin a few years ago to a staggering $50,000 wagers per spin only recently.

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A strike by 3,700 casino workers in Detroit has led to the closure of poker rooms at two high-profile casino properties, MotorCity Casino and MGM Grand Detroit. The strike comprises employees from five different unions and has inadvertently bolstered Canadian gambling tourism, as the nearest fully operational venue is just a short border crossing away.

Protests Are Causing Significant Disruptions

Poker rooms at MotorCity Casino and MGM Grand Detroit have been temporarily closed following the strike. An update on MotorCity Casino’s website informed visitors of the poker room’s closure. Similarly, a sign at MGM Grand Detroit notified guests that the poker room was temporarily unavailable. However, Hollywood Casino in Greektown confirmed that the strike had not affected their offerings.

The protests, affecting crucial positions like dealers, food and beverage staff, and engineers, stem from demands for improved healthcare, higher wages, and a return to pre-pandemic staffing levels. Negotiations between the Detroit Casino Council and the casino operators have been ongoing since September, but the two parties have unfortunately made little progress.

Detroit casino workers need a job that respects our health and our future. We now have to stand up and reset the relationship between us and the companies.

Detroit Casino Council strike flier 

The strike launched when the three-year extension to the original five-year contract, agreed upon during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, expired on Tuesday. Workers argue that revenue has now returned to pre-pandemic levels, especially with the inclusion of iGaming throughout Michigan. Poker enthusiasts and staff will face an uncertain period until the affected parties reach an agreement.

Caesars Windsor Attracts Americans with Comprehensive Casino Offering

While the three casinos affected by the strike will remain open, the protests have caused noticeable disruptions. Gordon Orr, CEO of Tourism Windsor-Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI), has offered Detroit bettors an alternative, inviting them to take a short trip across the border to Caesars Windsor, a world-class gaming option free of labor disputes.

Orr emphasized that the Canadian offering provided a quality gaming experience without crossing picket lines, making it a suitable alternative for US casino-goers who wish to avoid the Detroit labor strike. Caesars Windsor manager of PR and communications Susanne Tompkins was also excited to welcome foreign visitors, highlighting the venue’s world-class amenities.

Caesars Windsor is our number one tourist attraction. We’ve got it all… world-class gaming, a 5,000-seat Coliseum with A-List entertainment, gaming, and, of course, restaurants.

Susanne Tompkins, Caesars Windsor manager of PR and communications

While the strike’s future remains uncertain, the impact on Detroit’s poker rooms is a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by the casino industry amid calls for better worker conditions and the return to pre-pandemic norms. Unlike Nevada residents, Michiganders have a viable alternative nearby, exacerbating the pressure for casinos to reach an agreement with protesters.

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Great Canadian Entertainment has announced that Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto is set to open June 20, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. local time. The highly anticipated opening, next to Woodbine Racetrack, will open a huge gaming floor of more than 300,000 square feet and all of the Las Vegas-style amenities Canadians have come to expect from the legacy lottery casino operator.

Meanwhile, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario subsidiary, iGaming Ontario’s (iGO) spokespersons were at the Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto last week and iGO’s Martha Otton, executive director told a panel discussion and its sizable audience that the sectors participants are “crushing it”.

Neither Great Canadian’s press release nor iGaming Ontario’s comments addressed any possibility of unmovable objects being met with irresistible forces.

Landmark Development

Great Canadian Entertainment is betting on its in-person offering of entertainment, massive gaming space with over 4,800 slot machines and 145 table games situated in 328,000 square feet of gaming space – Canada’s largest casinos and one of the biggest in North America capturing in-person-gamblers’ attention and holding it through other amenities as well on 33-acres of fun with a great location near the Highways 401 and 427 interchange.

In addition to innovative modern architecture and a location adjacent to the popular Woodbine Racetrack, visitors will also find a 400-room hotel, a vast array of on-site dining, and a 5,000-person live entertainment venue.

While the new venue there cost some $1 billion it is also expected to generate about $500m in annual economic impact.

Great Canadian Entertainment CEO, Matthew Anfinson said of the opening: “We are thrilled to announce that our highly anticipated new casino will open on June 20. With meticulous attention to detail, state-of-the-art amenities, and a commitment to exceptional guest experiences, our landmark entertainment resort is a game-changer in Toronto,” said the CEO.

The company noted that the existing Casino Woodbine would continue operations without interruption until the new venue opens for a seamless transition. The release also noted that there will be a “PlaySmart Centre on the gaming floor, filled with engaging interactive tools and valuable responsible gambling resources available for all players.”

Ontario iGaming “Crushing It”

While the first quarter of business for iGaming in the province isn’t complete, so there are no final numbers available yet, Martha Otton of iGo told attendees at the Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto on Wednesday that GGR or gross gaming revenues were “3.5 times as large as Q1 last year, “ according to a report on CDC Gaming Reports.

Other panel members discussing the first full year of legalized and regulated iGaming in the province included board chair of iGaming Ontario, Dave Forestell; Ontario Attorney General, Doug Downey, and Tom Mungham, chief executive officer of AGCO – the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario a crown agency responsible for the actual regulation of alcohol, gaming and horse racing sectors and cannabis retail stores in Ontario.

A study commissioned by iGO and provided by Deloitte was released at the discussion which estimates some 12,000 “full-time-equivalent” jobs had been created by liberalizing online gambling in Ontario and had boosted the province’s GDP contribution of some CAD$1.6 billion with $900m of that on labor income.

Of the more than 12,000 jobs, Otton said: “…whether they’re direct or indirect jobs in the market and an average salary well above the provincial average. They’re good jobs for this province coming here.”

The Deloitte report, “Economic Contributions of Ontario’s Regulated iGaming Market,” not only examines the economic impact of a more openly competitive model in the province but also the decision to keep the lottery involved. The former model was run through a hybrid crown corporation with the government being one stakeholder and the Ontario Lottery being the other. The current model brings dozens of competitors to the market while maintaining ties to the lottery.

The Deloitte report projected the potential for an additional 10,000 new jobs, a further boost to $4.7 billion in annual GDP, and the possibility of breaking the $2b mark in government revenues within the first decade of operations.

The report said that igaming employment is over 40% more lucrative than private sector employment with average earnings of over $100,000 per year and noted that some sectors participating include those with skills in mathematics, technology, engineering, and science.

Government sector benefits would include a boost in revenue from last year’s $470 million provincial earrings to nearly one and a half billion in revenue in 2031-32 based on the 20% revenue-share model used in Ontario; federal revenue increasing to ^47m from $238m, and a nearly two-fold increase in revenue for Ontario municipalities from $54m to $115m.

Source: Ontario’s regulated online gaming market generates 12,000 full-time jobs, CAD$1.6B economic impact, in first year, CDC Gaming Reports, June 14, 2023

Great Canadian to open Casino Resort Toronto on June 20, G3 Newswire, June 14, 2023

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Gaming and hospitality operator Great Canadian Entertainment announced today it has agreed upon an exclusive partnership with Live Nation Canada that will bring some of the biggest names in music and comedy to its venues in Canada.

Live Music and Comedy Shows

The agreement reached between Great Canadian Entertainment and Live Nation Canada will see the live entertainment company serve as the exclusive booking agent for the events while both partners will promote the programming jointly.

Gavin Whiteley, chief marketing officer of Great Canadian Entertainment, commented on the development, thrilled that Great Canadian partnered with “the premier live entertainment promoter in the world,” Live Nation Canada.

“This partnership will bring some of the biggest and most exciting artists to our exceptional venues, providing guests with unforgettable experiences they will cherish for years to come,” Whiteley said.

Great Canadian Entertainment currently operates 25 gaming, entertainment and hospitality facilities in Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, and is planning on opening the country’s largest casino resort, Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, later this year.

The brand-new CA$1 billion ($749 million) casino resort with a 400-room hotel, expanded covered parking, and multiple on-site dining options, will also feature a 5,000-person entertainment venue, The Theatre, where famous musicians and comedians will also perform once the resort opens to the public.

Other venues that will feature through the strategic alliance with Live Nation Canada will be the brand-new The Arena at Pickering Casino Resort, River Rock Casino Resort, Hard Rock Casino Vancouver, Molson Canadian Centre at Casino New Brunswick, and The Schooner Showroom at Casino Nova Scotia.

Committed to Elevating Guest Experience

Seeking to elevate the experience at Great Canadian Entertainment’s live venues from coast to coast, the partnership is the latest display of the company’s commitment to delivering world-class entertainment and experiences to its guests across all its casino and hospitality venues.

Leveraging Live Nation Canada’s global presence, vast industry network and relationships with artists and musicians, Great Canadian Entertainment is expecting to raise the bar by offering a wide range of events and the best live experiences nationwide.

One of Great Canadian’s 12 Ontario venues, Casino Woodbine, hit the newswires in April after awarding a massive CA$3.2 million ($2.4 million) progressive jackpot to a Toronto-based solutions contractor and Great Canadian Rewards member, Marcelo Loyola.

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The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) will work with its member operators to establish and fund a new education program for Canadian athletes. The announcement was initially made at the Symposium on Competition Manipulation and Gambling in Sport event in Toronto.

With representatives of notable North American sports leagues, such as the CFL, CPL, Hockey Canada, NFL, NBA and NHL in attendance, the IBIA unveiled the new program. Regulators such as the AGCO and Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission also had representatives in attendance.

It announced that the new initiative will be funded by its member operators bet365, Betway and FanDuel, which will invest at least $220,000 (converted to USD) over three years. The funding partners are currently discussing a delivery body and are planning to come up with a decision in the coming weeks.

The program will seek to shield athletes from sports betting fraud and match-fixing. It will include face-to-face athlete training, as well as a digital portal for learning. In addition, athletes will be able to benefit from awareness-raising material and use an anonymous reporting app to share their experiences.

Representatives from the involved parties commented on the new project. Jean-Francois Reymond, a former basketball pro and education ambassador at the IBIA, was the one to announce the project. He explained that in order to protect the integrity of sports, one has to also protect the integrity of athletes.

Most often through a lack of awareness, it is the athletes who are risking their careers and livelihoods. Our objective is to build a best-in-class program for all athletes that serves to protect the integrity of Canadian sports and the careers of Canada’s athletes.

Jean-Francois Reymond, education ambassador, IBIA

IBIA’s chief executive officer, Khalid Ali, also commented on the matter. He said that the association is happy to see that its members are interested in promoting sports betting education and are willing to invest in the initiative. Ali noted that the IBIA truly cares about sports integrity and investing in the well-being of the athletes that make sports possible.

Betway’s chief executive, Anthony Werkman, also shared his thoughts, affirming the importance of sports integrity. He said that his brand is committed to combating corruption in sports betting, both globally and locally. Werkman concluded that Betway is excited to work together with other IBIA members on the new project.

Finally, Dale Hooper, GM of FanDuel Canada, said Ontario is a fairly young market and therefore one in need of additional protections and educational programs. His team is looking forward to helping to increase the understanding of betting and the protection of athletes and bettors in the region.

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Century Casinos, a major NA gambling company, has penned a definitive sale-leaseback deal with VICI Properties. The deal will see the former company sell the assets of four of its properties in Alberta, Canada.

The properties in question are Century Casino & Hotel Edmonton, Century Casino St. Albert and Century Mile Racetrack and Casino in Edmonton, Alberta and Century Downs Racetrack and Casino (“Century Downs”) in Calgary, Alberta.

The aggregate purchase price of the deal is $164.4 million in USD (based on the exchange rates at the time of the deal). The purchase price includes $142.6 million to be paid to Century Casinos’ subsidiaries and $21.8 million to acquire the fee simple real estate interest in Century Downs.

Century Casinos forecasts retaining around $114.6 million of the purchase price.

The Deal Will Be Added to the Existing Master Lease

The four properties, referred to in the deal as the Century Canadian Portfolio, will be added to the existing triple-net master lease agreement between Century Casinos and VICI Properties. As a result, the annual rent will increase by $12.8 million, which translates into an implied acquisition capitalization rate of 7.8%.

Meanwhile, the property-level rent coverage ratio under the Master Lease agreement will be around 2.0x. In addition, the term of the Master Lease will be extended to 15 years after the closing of the latest agreement.

Century Casinos will guarantee its obligations under the lease.

The deal, subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the second half of the year.

The Higher-ups Are Excited about the Arrangement

Century Casinos’ co-chief executive officers, Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger, released a statement on the new sale-leaseback, saying that they are pleased to extend their partnership with VICI Properties.

The two executives said that the transaction will “unlock the real estate value” of the operator’s Canadian portfolio. At the same time, it will allow the company to grow its local footprint, while providing it with improved financial flexibility.

The co-CEOs announced their intentions to continue making the most out of Century Casinos’ capital, teasing some of their future plans:

We intend to use the sale proceeds to fund improvements at the Nugget and for general corporate purposes. We are also looking at the potential to apply some proceeds to paydown debt under our credit agreement and/or to return funds to shareholders through stock repurchases and/or a special dividend.

Erwin Haitzmann and Peter Hoetzinger, co-CEOs, Century Casinos

Century Casinos currently shared data concerning its financial performance in 2022, highlighting a double-digit growth.

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Business in Vancouver reported that a Canadian law firm has failed in its bid to have a CAD18 million ($13.4 million) lawsuit against them dismissed, which was filed by two international online gambling companies. However, the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled that the case should proceed.

Jazette and Go Forward Sue Beadle Defendants Over Alleged $13.4M Theft

The lawsuit was filed in 2019 by Jazette Enterprises Ltd. and Go Forward Solutions Ltd., companies based in Mauritius and St. Vincent and the Grenadines respectively, that operate an online gambling website. According to the plaintiffs, a sum of CAD18 million ($13.4 million) produced by the website was unlawfully taken in 2016 by some individuals associated with the enterprise, and subsequently transferred through a trust account administered by Beadle Raven.

Although the allegations have not been proven in court, the judge noted that it was clear from the evidence in the application that some CAD18 million ($13.4 million) did indeed pass through the trust account operated by the Beadle defendants. The matter is also the subject of litigation in Qatar.

To investigate the lost funds, the plaintiffs enlisted the services of a contractor. In October of the previous year, Charlotte Payne, one of the Jazette owners, was scheduled to participate in a discovery examination, which is a pre-trial procedure that allows parties in a civil dispute to obtain information from the other side. However, she ultimately declined to do so.

The plaintiffs then said that the contractor was the appropriate person to represent them for discovery. This led to an application by the Beadle defendants to have the case thrown out entirely for non-compliance.

Judge Orders Charlotte Payne to Attend Discovery Hearing

The judge rejected the request for dismissal, deeming it a particularly harsh measure since the plaintiffs proposed an alternative to Payne and the other Jazette owner Keith Helman and thus did not completely refuse the discovery process. 

The judge further noted the gravity of the CAD18 million ($13.4 million) claim. She ordered Payne to attend a discovery hearing, noting that the Beadle defendants have read her affidavit, in which she claims to have little relevant knowledge and are still insisting on interviewing her for discovery.

The judge expressed that the Beadle defendants may be making an unwise choice by exercising their right to discovery with a representative who is unlikely to provide information or admissions that can strengthen their defense against the plaintiffs’ claims. However, the judge noted that it is not the court’s place to question the Beadle defendants’ litigation strategy.

The judge also stated that although Payne had a back ailment, she would need to be accommodated but could not skip discovery entirely for that reason.

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Ontario Canada’s liberalized open market model for online casino and sports gambling has been in operation for a year now and it has become a fiercely competitive market. European operator CoolBet got in on the first day and pulled out of the market in March, less than one year into the endeavor.

Prior to the market’s official launch on April 4, 2022, Ontarians either gambled at a local casino, at Play OLG online, or they went offshore to play at a site licensed in Malta, Gibraltar, the Isle of Man, Alderney, or even the Caribbean jurisdiction of Curacao.

Now, according to a survey by Ipsos, the bulk of players are all happily spinning away at regulated sites available in the province thanks to a collaboration between iGaming Ontario (iGO), the Government of Ontario, and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). The survey found that over 85% of those who gambled online in the last three months gambled at a regulated site.

From 70% offshore to 85% Province-Regulated?

However, that top-line number can’t tell the whole story. The Attorney General released a report on July 06, 2021, stating that 70% of all online gambling was done at “unregulated, grey market websites, with limited, if any, consumer protection and responsible gaming measures,” and that the assumed flight of capital was some billion dollars a year. If all of that gambling activity seems to have come home to roost, the open competitive online gambling market must be a huge success – at least revenue-wise for the province.

However, as is often the case when studies are commissioned by stakeholders, not all of the important numbers are easy to find. One of the major arguing points for regulated online gambling was the potential to reap revenues from single-event online sportsbetting in the province which the AG report estimated to be a $14 billion-a-year industry in Canada. It’s absolutely unclear if the Ontario market has captured even a sliver of that number.

Some reports following on the heels of the Ipsos survey results suggest that province-regulated online gambling has almost entirely displaced the previous practice of placing bets offshore, but that is not quite true on its face.

The AGCO seems to be taking a more realistic tack in its conclusions about the first year. Registrar and CEO of the AGCO, Tom Mungham said: “A key objective in this first year has been to move Ontario players from playing on unregulated sites to the regulated market so that they would benefit from high standards of operator and game integrity, fairness and player protections including responsible gambling safeguards. Although there’s still much work to be done, we’re pleased to see such a substantial shift towards gaming on regulated sites so far, and everything that it represents for players and for the province.”

According to Ipsos:

85.3% of respondents who have gambled online in Ontario over the past three months report having wagered on a regulated website.

14.7% of respondents who have gambled online in Ontario over the past three months report having wagered only on unregulated websites.

Further, among the 85.3% who are using regulated websites, Ipsos’ study found that 19.5% have wagered on a combination of regulated and unregulated websites.

These numbers tell us that over 30% of active players in Ontario still use offshore gambling sites.

Another study was done by PrimeOnline LTD, a SkillOnNet operator with the branded Ontario online casinos Spin Genie.ca, the holder of an Ontario iGaming license in good standing. That study found that 43% of players in Ontario began gambling online in the last year (since the launch) and about a quarter of players (24%) had only been playing for six months or less.

The aforementioned survey used roughly the same methodology and had about the same margin of error and confidence interval as the Ipsos survey.

How Many Know if They are Gambling at a Licensed Site?

Somewhat striking among the findings and begging more detail to the actual questions asked in the Ipsos survey, the Prime survey noted that less than three-quarters (72%) of players queried were even aware that OLG.ca (the official Ontario Lottery website) is regulated and they believe that other major websites are unregulated – but – players are most likely to believe that whichever website they visit is indeed regulated.

The parts of the survey released to the public did provide some demographic information which can tell us a little bit about the most common type of online gambler in Ontario.

During the last 3 months, Ontarians who have placed real money bets online are overwhelmingly male (68.1%), between the ages of 19 and 34 (45.8%), have earned a University Degree+ (39.5%), and make less than $75,000 per year (54.9%).

There are 45 operators with about 70 live real money gambling websites in Ontario. AGCO has certified over 5,000 games for online use.

According to a CBC News report posted on Jan 17, 2022, a “Private & Confidential” report compiled for the government stated that the province could lose more than $2.5b in revenue as players migrate from brick-and-mortar gameplay to online only. In decades of reviewing such doom and gloom assessments, none have proved true to date.

Jeffrey Haas, senior vice-president of DraftKings Inc. made the correct call on that report stating: “People who are playing in online casinos and online sportsbooks and online poker rooms will continue to do so, except they’re going to go from playing offshore to onshore,” according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. “And anybody who continues to walk into real casinos in order to play games there will continue to do so.”

Source: Ontario iGaming Market Channelization (PDF), Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, April 3, 2023

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This comes as welcome news to Raj Grewal who faced mounting scrutiny over the past year over his alleged involvement in lobbying for businessmen in front of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Grewal was also accused of helping with immigration application proceedings in exchange for loans.

Gambling Habits That Do Not Suggest Abuse of Power

None of these charges held up in court. The only part that is true, though, is Grewal’s proclivity for gambling to great lengths. He reportedly spent considerable sums, running in the millions of dollars, at the Casino du Lac-Leamy over the period of several years from 2015 through 2018, court documents state.

Because of his gambling habits, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police launched an investigation into his gambling habits and the source of his money. While the investigation did not prove any wrongdoing beyond a reasonable doubt, Grewal stepped down from his party post and did not go up for reelection in 2019.

Justice Sylvia Corthorn of Ontario did not find any evidence to suggest that Grewal had in any way abused his power to secure loans and sustain his gambling habit. In fact, Corthorn dismissed the case outright and did not find it necessary for the defense to deliver its arguments.

Should shove came to push, though, Grewal’s lawyer, Nader Hasan, would have simply stated that the loans were given by members of the local Sikh community, which Grewal has been a long-time member of.

Police Did Not Bother to Investigate, Says Lawyer

Hasan called the entire case based on flimsy evidence, but more importantly on a grave cultural misunderstanding. Essentially, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police misconstrued the relationships between Grewal and his fellow community members and sought to find evidence of wrongdoing where there was essentially none.

Hasan insisted that the police could have saved the Crown and itself considerable resources if it had gone to Grewal directly and collected evidence, or looked into the ties between him and his benefactors. The lawyer insisted that at no point did the police approach his client and demand a straightforward explanation of the loans.

They simply jumped to the conclusion that Grewal had abused power, which has now cost him his political career.

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