Tobique First Nation creates a separate prediction markets regulator under new Act in New Brunswick

Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick has introduced the Prediction Markets Act and set up the Tobique Prediction Market Authority (TPMA) to regulate permit holders under that framework. For PSPs and operators, the important bit is that this is not just a name change on top of an existing gaming body: Tobique has carved prediction markets out into a separate regulator.

1. The new TPMA will oversee holders of permits issued under the Prediction Markets Act, and it is separate from the Tobique Gaming Commission (TGC), which already regulates gambling in the community. That split matters operationally because permit conditions, compliance processes, and supervisory expectations can now sit in a dedicated regime rather than inside the existing gaming structure.
2. Tobique said the legislation was enacted under its self-government powers. The TGC itself was established under the Tobique Gaming Act of 2023 and exercises regulatory authority independently of Canada’s provincial and federal gambling frameworks. In other words, Tobique already had a working gaming regulator before adding a prediction markets-specific one.
3. The community has appointed CL Specialist Projects Limited as its principal advisory partner on global market developments and business opportunities, with director Cliff Lewin as the primary advisory contact. For market participants, that signals an external advisory layer around the rollout, which is often where first conversations about structure, permissions, and commercial setup begin.
4. Tobique First Nation has fewer than 3,000 people, according to a 2025 census. That small population does not change the regulatory point, but it does explain why this is a tightly controlled jurisdiction rather than a broad provincial-style market.
5. The move comes as New Brunswick is reviewing possible regulatory models for private online gambling operators, with officials examining developments in other provinces and jurisdictions. Government spokesperson David Kelly said Ontario and now Alberta have markets open to licensed private companies, while Atlantic Lottery Corporation’s exclusive position in the province’s legal internet gaming market could be affected.