New Brunswick tables Bill 8 to create rules for online live casino games

New Brunswick has introduced Bill 8, an amendment to the Gaming Control Act, to give the province a legal basis for regulating online live casino games. For PSPs and operators, the point is not a launch date yet; it is the first legislative step toward a framework that could eventually govern live-dealer products in the province.

1. Bill 8 received its first reading on 27 October 2026 and remains a legislative proposal, not an enacted law. So, on paper there is movement; in practice, there are still more legislative steps and then regulations before anyone gets operating rules.
2. The bill would let provincial authorities develop regulations specifically for online casino games presented by live dealers. That matters because live-dealer products are not just another skin on standard online casino play: they bring real-time human interaction, which usually means different compliance, presentation and control requirements than automated games.
3. The proposal follows an initiative from the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC), the government-owned operator that delivers online gambling products on behalf of New Brunswick and other Atlantic Canadian provinces. Existing digital offerings already include instant-win games, online bingo and casino-style products.
4. Bill 8 introduces a distinction between an online casino lottery scheme and a live casino lottery scheme. Under the proposed wording, the second category covers casino-style games that are hosted, facilitated or presented by a live person, while the first covers casino-style games run and managed by the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation through an online platform.
5. The amendment would also expand the province’s authority to regulate gaming arrangements conducted and managed by the relevant corporation, or operated by another government agency. Under the proposed structure, the provincial corporation could, subject to approval by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council, enter into an agreement with a qualifying corporate body incorporated under the relevant interprovincial agreement.

For high-risk payment providers, the key takeaway is simple: New Brunswick is still at the framework stage. Bill 8 does not set a launch date, a full operating rulebook, or implementation mechanics for live casino. Those would come later, if the bill advances and the regulations follow.