The Canadian province of Quebec plans to exclude people convicted of money laundering from accessing casinos.

Quebec's government is putting focused efforts into safeguarding its gambling landscape from people associated with organized crime by preventing these individuals from entering regulated casinos. This initiative targets offenses like money laundering, narcotics trades, and document forgery.

According to the Quebec authorities, individuals who have pleaded guilty to or are convicted of the aforementioned offenses over the past five years threaten the integrity of the sector. casinos Government officials believe these individuals can severely undermine the public's trust in these legal gambling establishments.

These offenses include:

• Breaching the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
• Money laundering
• Forgery
• Charging interest at a felony rate

Emerging from a 2021 report by Deloitte, which exposed tactics used by organized crime syndicates within casinos, the new regulations address these concerns. Alongside, media reports suggested undue favorable treatment towards crime figures at Casino de Montréal.

The report scrutinized instances of loan sharking, money laundering, and examined the province's Loto-Québec loyalty program. It also assessed existing precautions to guarantee the safety and autonomy of casino personnel.

Upon announcing these novel safeguards, Claudia Loupret, representative for Quebec’s Finance Minister Eric Girard, remarked, 'Loto-Québec and the government are striving for exemplary standards in ethical and financial probity. Our trust lies in Loto-Québec to enact these measures effectively.' responsible gaming Commenting further, Loto-Québec stated, 'This measure bolsters our already extensive security efforts to prevent money laundering in our venues and ensure our operations are secure.'

Among Deloitte's key proposals was empowering Loto-Québec to impose bans on individuals with criminal connections from casino entry, yet the administration has delayed integrating such advice for over two years. casinos are safe entertainment venues.”

Meanwhile, constructive dialogue is reportedly ongoing to end the casino workers' strike, which has persisted over a month, involving 1,700 workers since June 23, due to stalled negotiations between the CSN labor union and Loto-Québec.

Both parties had previously maintained silence on the strike but have now disclosed ongoing communication efforts to resolve the issue.

'Loto-Québec is glad to announce the renewal of earnest negotiations despite the ongoing strike,' stated the regulatory body's spokesperson.

Quebec hosts ten licensed gambling facilities, with Loto-Québec overseeing four of them. Affected casinos will keep modified operating hours until the strike's resolution.

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