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Quebec Government May Force ISPs To Block Gambling Websites

New submitter ottawan- writes: In order to drive more customers to their own online gambling website, the Quebec government and Loto-Quebec (the provincial organization in charge of gaming and lotteries) are thinking about forcing the province's ISPs to block all other online gambling websites. The list of websites to be blocked will be maintained by Loto-Quebec, and the government believes that the blocking will increase government revenue by up to $27 million (CAD) per year.

60 comments

  1. Starlight Glimmer 2016 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Vote Starlight Glimmer for President in 2016. As the equalist candidate, Starlight Invites all of America to experience true friendship for the first time. Starlight believes in an America where people don't flaunt their special talents because they have no special talents to flaunt.

  2. This is the kiosk lobby by NotInHere · · Score: 1

    You can tax online gambling too, if you want. Its more direct, and you can keep more of the money as gambling organisation. No kiosk middleman.

    1. Re:This is the kiosk lobby by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doesn't that cross a line into "taxation without representation"?

    2. Re:This is the kiosk lobby by Dog-Cow · · Score: 1

      1) Quebec is not a part of the US.
      2) The tax would presumably be on winnings, therefore a tax on citizens.

  3. Crooked politicians. by catsRus · · Score: 2

    Nice to see that American politicians are not the only crooks with too much power. Now what do we do about it?

    1. Re:Crooked politicians. by naughtynaughty · · Score: 2

      Educate people on the benefits of a VPN connection

    2. Re:Crooked politicians. by hodet · · Score: 2

      and you could even get a Canadian VPN just based in another province. This stuff is so lame.

    3. Re:Crooked politicians. by PopeRatzo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Nice to see that American politicians are not the only crooks with too much power. Now what do we do about it?

      When US politicians try to ban online gambling, it's not to drive business to government gambling sites, but rather to drive business to Sheldon Adelson. I guess they figure if you're going to be corrupt, you might as well be corrupt for someone who pays better than the government.

      http://arstechnica.com/tech-po...

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    4. Re:Crooked politicians. by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Oh, and before you ask for a citation that Graham and Rubio are trying to ban online gaming specifically for Sheldon Adelson (who looks like Dr Evil's unwell uncle by the way), here is some more information:

      http://www.nationaljournal.com...

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    5. Re:Crooked politicians. by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      Stop reelecting them! Short of that, learn good circumvention techniques.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    6. Re:Crooked politicians. by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      Hmm, I smell bacon. Sh'Chita Beit Yosef

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    7. Re:Crooked politicians. by houghi · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Educate people that gambling is bad.

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
    8. Re:Crooked politicians. by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Yes people who are interested in a free internet will just pay under say $7-$20 a month for an encrypted network out of Canada.
      All the Canadian provider and gov will see is a stream of encrypted data every month to an ip out of Canada.
      The Canadian ISP is happy to block sites, the VPN is very happy with the new user, the user is enjoying the wider internet as normal.
      A newer law to block any VPN provider getting funding from a Canadian bank or credit card?

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    9. Re: Crooked politicians. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What about educating people to OBEY THE LAW AND SHUT UP?

    10. Re:Crooked politicians. by currently_awake · · Score: 1

      Government run lottery = voluntary taxation. Lotteries have such poor return on investment that you're basically just throwing your money away.

  4. A lot of the online gambling industry is located by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A lot of the world's online gambling industry happens to be located in the province. (Porn too but that's a different story)

    Will this have an adverse effect, such as the industry leaving? Do these pay taxes to the government anyway? Many are "natives"...

    Will this really happen or just some rumors? This initiative has failure written all over it..

    Interestingly, the leader of the opposition owns the largest ISP in the province and he's quite right-wing. Not sure he's gonna go for that...

  5. Slashdot doing community service. by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 2
    People of Quebec, take a look at the previous story: http://hardware.slashdot.org/s...

    You can figure out a way if they really manage to get ISPs to block the gambling sites.

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    1. Re:Slashdot doing community service. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have no problem in Quebec blocking on-line gambling sites. Gambling is a scam.

  6. Consequent with the current law by danbob999 · · Score: 1

    which is that you need a license from Lotto-Québec to operate in the gambling buisness.
    If we don't want to block foreign gambling web sites, we should also allow foreign lotteries to operate in Quebec.

    Personally, if I wanted to play poker online, I would use Lotto-Québec, which I trust a lot more than an offshore company. How do I know they are not selling my hand to another player?

  7. Re:A lot of the online gambling industry is locate by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Surely the proposal will be scuttled when the realize that driving the gambling operations out of the province will sharply reduce the number of them that give due prominence to French language text; and acknowledge the right of the people to lose money without brutalizing exposure to anglicisms.

  8. How about driving traffic the old fashioned way? by h33t+l4x0r · · Score: 5, Insightful

    By having a product that people want to use.

  9. Proxy Servers by eric31415927 · · Score: 1

    Quebec, have you ever heard of proxy servers?
    They are fairly easy to set up.
    You get your *trusted friend* living in another jurisdiction to leave a computer on for you.
    Point your Internet connections at the out-of-Quebec computer and you're good to go.

    1. Re:Proxy Servers by danbob999 · · Score: 2

      There is already no reason to use foreign gambling sites. If you need to setup a VPN or proxy, it's enough to convert 99% of the people to Lotto-Quebec.

    2. Re:Proxy Servers by encyclo · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Sure, that's a workaround, but it doesn't solve the real problem - because the problem is not connecting to blocked sites (I have absolutely no interest in online gambling). The real problem is censorship.

      So we in Quebec must fight this proposal - not because it has anything to do with gambling, but because it restricts our freedom.

  10. It's the law here... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Seriously, Loto Quebec is basically the law when it comes to gambling stuff. Anybody who doesn't pay them, cannot legally operate any sort of gambling or giveaways in Quebec. Which is why 99.99% of online giveaways, even if they are based in Canada, exclude Quebec.

    1. Re:It's the law here... by ArcadeMan · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Which is why 99.99% of online giveaways, even if they are based in Canada, exclude Québec.

      Tell me about it. I don't even check the requirements for any giveaways anymore, because they always end with "Except in the province of Québec".

      Let me say it in french so it's pretty clear:
      Fuck you, Loto-Québec.

    2. Re:It's the law here... by KiloByte · · Score: 3, Funny

      Let me say it in french so it's pretty clear:
      Fuck you, Loto-Québec.

      As they're from Quebec, this won't work. You need to name some church utensils or furniture instead.

      --
      The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
    3. Re:It's the law here... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      No, we say "fuck" in Québec all the time even when we speak French. We just don't consider it "offensive".

    4. Re:It's the law here... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, Québec doesn't exist anyways. Neither does Canada nor USA.
      That being said,telling that is very offensive to most Quebecers. It's like saying N word for black people. Unless you're just a troll, you shouldn't say that.

    5. Re:It's the law here... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Fuck you Québec" is succinct and correct.

      Unless you're a troll, you shouldn't say that. It's very offensive like N word for black people or talking about holocost in a funny way to jewish people, or talking about 9/11 in a funny way to americans.

    6. Re:It's the law here... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do you then say "Pardon my English." Except in French of course. (:

    7. Re:It's the law here... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What the fuck are you babbling about you Pepsi fuck?

      Is that a rhetorical question? I'm talking about "the fuck" itself.

  11. Lots of new revenue by viperidaenz · · Score: 2

    $27M coming in
    How much is it going to cost to implement, enforce and maintain? More than $27M probably.

  12. not legal by BradMajors · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Doing so is illegal under WTO rules:

    http://www.wired.co.uk/news/ar...

    1. Re:not legal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, and naming spaghetti in french is so weird since it's named spaghetti instead of spaghetti.

    2. Re:not legal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, what a bunch of idiots. Quebecers are clearly genetically inferior to other canadians. English canadians are the best people in the world. Long live the queen of england, long live stephen harper (if he's not a robot). Laughing at inferior people is always funny because it makes you feel better about yourself.

    3. Re:not legal by 50000BTU_barbecue · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      Perhaps you are not aware:

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      And my taxes pay for these fine people's salaries and retirement fund... while I scramble for crumbs.

      --
      Mostly random stuff.
    4. Re:not legal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, I wasn't aware of that. I must admit: this has gone too far. I still support protection of french language (my native and commonly spoken language), but the end doesn't justifiy the means if the means are counterproductive.

    5. Re:not legal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Correction, they are the laughing stock of the English and French speaking world.

      I don't know what your origins are but you clearly belong to a superior race and culture. As the inferior and stupid being "a Quebecker" I am, I must bow down in admiration to your intelligence and manlihood and only hope to become like you in the future.

  13. Re:A lot of the online gambling industry is locate by Ol+Olsoc · · Score: 1, Funny

    A lot of the world's online gambling industry happens to be located in the province. (Porn too but that's a different story).

    So that's where all the ultra hairy women sites are!

    --
    The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
  14. Censorship is NOT the f'ing answer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Quit it already. I'm sick and tired of governments censoring the internet. There is no excuse. If you censor the internet your government is not legitimate and deserves to be overthrown. Sadly some that don't censor also deserve to be overthrown... but I won't go there for fear of reprisals.

  15. The house is bust by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    While if true, Quebec's action is just one more instance of a government abusing a monopoly when it suits its interest. Nothing new under the sun.

    What is truly sad is that North America's Greece is taking one m

    1. Re: The house is bust by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      North America's Greece is scrambling for every last penny ... 27M will not fix a broken system. The real issue is not the idiocy of the Government's action but the fact that it has come to this. Grasping at straws. As for Greeks, petty the poor quebecer whose comeuponce is near ...

  16. Fucking Idiots... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Blocking them will in no way increase your revenue, it will in fact drive more people to your competitors via proxies, dark net, you name it - they'll go out of their way just to piss on your attempts at limiting their choices.

  17. Will they block Kahnawake? by ghn · · Score: 3, Informative

    The Kahnawake Gaming Commission is located inside the Quebec borders, and they operate a large datacenter dedicated to online gambling.. They host many high-profile gambling site.

    This is not a "foreign" operation at all.

    Will ppl have to VPN through the USA or another canadian province to come back to a QC operated gambling site. That is ridiculous..

    https://www.gamingcommission.c...

  18. Won't work by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If the stats that claim that 1/3 of English Canadian Netflix users VPN to the U.S. are true then Loto Quebec will fall way short of its 27 million CAD requirement.

  19. Re:How about driving traffic the old fashioned way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    By having a product that people want to use.

    Exactly, the only way the official government gambling sites are not making money is; the payouts are too low, the taxes are too high, the games are so obviously rigged that no one believes they have a chance, or the UI of the site is so crappy that no one wants to deal with it (only works with IE6, the games are tedious to operate, etc). I know that there are the chronic "get rich quick" gamblers, but most "casual" gamblers do it for fun. If the site is not fun then they will find one that is..

  20. That's not the real crime by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The real crime is that Loto Quebec partnered with a private corporation called Amaya Gaming which also offers online gambling to North America, out of Quebec. This is the same company that recently bought Poker Stars.

    According to the latest news, they plan to block everyone but Amaya Gaming. Essentially, they are handing a monopoly to a non-governmental agency. If that isn't corruption, I don't know what is...

    Source: http://casino-review.net/quebe...

    1. Re: That's not the real crime by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not corruption, it's the system working exactly how it's intended to work. Now, who's in the mood for a good ol' fashioned lynching!?

  21. Zionist occupied Canada... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... at work as usual...

  22. Re:A lot of the online gambling industry is locate by NotDrWho · · Score: 0

    Just the thought of Quebec porn activates my gag reflex without me even seeing it.

    --
    SJW's don't eliminate discrimination. They just expropriate it for themselves.
  23. ISP "cooperation" by davidwr · · Score: 1

    Gov't to ISP: Block all gambling web sites that are on our blacklist.

    ISP to Gov't: "Block all gambling web sites" - hey, that's a great idea. I think we'll start with the list we already use to block our employees from going to gambling web sites while they are at work.

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  24. A Good Idea by MagickalMyst · · Score: 1

    I used to work for an online gambling company based in Montreal in the late 1990's. All I can say is that online gambling is a HUGE scam, hands down. Major players in the industry are fraud artists and thugs. The operation, unbeknownst to my coworkers and I at the time, was being illegally run (yes, live pay gaming servers) run out of downtown Montreal (3100 Cote Vertu, 3rd floor) - although they were 'legally' licensed to operate in Antigua, which they (falsely) claimed that they were.

    The operation was run by Jewish mobsters - (convicted fraudsters who were known to police). It was an illegal racket that raked in millions of dollars. They managed to somehow evade law enforcement for years (payoffs? blackmail? I don't know) until they were able to setup "MIT" - Mowhawk Internet Technologies. MIT is essentially a server farm which hosts online casinos in North America but is physically located on a reserve, thus legally protected by "gray area" laws regarding gambling operations on native reserves. The natives are thrown a few crumbs for allowing the operation to exist, but at the end of the day, the owners were the ones who really benefited and profited from the operation. The natives, once again, are exploited by foreigners...

    I won't mention names, but the company in question is famous for aggressive marketing techniques.. like buying fish sticks on ebay that supposedly look like Jesus or the Virgin Mary for ridiculous sums of money... like $10,000.

    This information is not new to anyone who has worked in the industry. And there are many.

    Blocking these criminal websites would really be doing people a favour.

    --
    Political correctness is really just herd psychology pushed by insecure people who desperately seek social conformity.