Quebec casinos to ban those convicted of money laundering or forgery

A public inquiry into money laundering found illicit cash being moved through the province’s casinos.

Canada.- The Quebec government says it will ban people convicted of a number of crimes from entering government-owned casinos. Those who have been convicted of or have pleaded guilty to money laundering, forgery, charging interest at a criminal rate and violations of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in the last five years will be banned from entry.

The government said these crimes could affect the integrity of casinos or undermine public trust in them. All legal casinos in the province, except for those in Indigenous communities, are owned by Loto-Québec, the province’s gaming authority.

“Loto-Québec and the government are aiming for the highest standards of responsible gaming and financial integrity,” Claudia Loupret, a spokeswoman for Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard, said in a statement. “We have confidence in Loto-Québec to implement these new measures.”

The regulation, which will come into effect in about six weeks, follows a 2021 audit by Deloitte into the use of casinos by organised criminal groups. Girard ordered the third-party audit after media reports of VIP treatment at the Casino de Montréal. The audit looked at money laundering, loansharking, Loto-Québec’s loyalty programme and existing measures to ensure the security and independence of casino employees.

One of Deloitte’s recommendations was that Loto-Québec be given the power to ban people linked to criminality. Girard’s office did not respond to a question about why it took more than two years to introduce the regulation.

“This additional measure supports the many other security measures already in place to combat money laundering at our establishments and ensure that our casinos are safe entertainment venues,” Loto-Québec said in an unsigned statement.

See also: Loto-Québec revenue increases 35% year-on-year in fiscal year 2022-2023