Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation
Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation is a Manitoba Crown corporation responsible for liquor retailing and distribution, legalized gaming, and the wholesale supply of non-medical cannabis in the province.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation, commonly known as MBLL, is a provincial Crown corporation that combines three major public-sector commercial responsibilities in Manitoba: the sale and distribution of beverage alcohol, the operation and delivery of legalized gaming, and the sourcing and wholesale distribution of non-medical cannabis for licensed retailers. Its headquarters are in Winnipeg, and its activities are focused on the Manitoba market rather than on international brand expansion. MBLL was established in 2013 through the merger of the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission and Manitoba Lotteries Corporation. The consolidation brought together the province’s long-standing liquor-control and gaming businesses under one organization. The merger was implemented through legislation that took effect on April 1, 2014. At the same time, regulatory responsibilities were separated from the commercial and operating functions: the newly constituted provincial liquor and gaming regulator assumed oversight of licensing, compliance, charitable gaming, and the technical integrity of gaming systems, while MBLL retained responsibility for operating and distributing products and services. In liquor, MBLL acts both as a retailer and as a distribution organization. Its retail network includes Liquor Mart and Liquor Mart Express locations throughout Manitoba. The corporation manages the movement of beverage alcohol into the provincial market and operates stores serving consumers across urban and regional communities. The liquor business is conducted within a controlled provincial framework, with licensing and regulatory compliance handled by the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba. MBLL’s gaming portfolio includes the sale of Western Canada Lottery Corporation products through authorized lottery retailers, the operation of Winnipeg’s two Casinos of Winnipeg—Club Regent Casino and McPhillips Station Casino—the provision of video lottery terminals, and the PlayNow.com online gaming platform. The corporation also has a role in supporting gaming arrangements involving First Nations casinos, although those facilities are distinct from MBLL’s directly operated Winnipeg casinos. Its gaming activities cover lottery, casino, electronic gaming, and online offerings, making the organization a central part of Manitoba’s legal gaming system. The corporation also sources and distributes non-medical cannabis to licensed Manitoba retailers. This function places MBLL within the province’s regulated cannabis supply chain, while retail licensing and market oversight remain matters for the provincial regulator. MBLL’s institutional history reaches back beyond its 2013 creation. The Manitoba Liquor Control Commission was established in 1923 under provincial liquor-control legislation and was given authority to purchase, import, sell, and control the possession, transportation, and distribution of liquor. In 1982, it opened what was described as Canada’s first duty-free liquor store outside an airport, in Emerson. Manitoba’s publicly administered gaming structure developed later. In 1984, the Manitoba Lotteries Foundation assumed responsibility for casinos, lottery-ticket distribution, and bingo-paper distribution. It subsequently became a Crown corporation in 1993 under the name Manitoba Lotteries Corporation. Major gaming developments included the opening of Crystal Casino at Winnipeg’s Fort Garry Hotel in 1989, the expansion and renovation of the two Winnipeg casinos in the late 1990s, and the opening of First Nations casinos at Aseneskak, South Beach, and Sand Hills. MBLL and its predecessor organizations have also used public education and harm-reduction initiatives to promote responsible alcohol use, safe transportation, and responsible gambling. Today, MBLL’s positioning is that of a provincially owned, regulated-market operator and public-service commercial enterprise whose revenues and activities support Manitoba while its produc…
History
Manitoba’s public liquor system began in 1923, when the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission was established under the Liquor Control Act. The commission was empowered to purchase, import, sell, and control the possession, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages, as well as to establish liquor outlets across the province. This framework made the commission a central institution in Manitoba’s controlled liquor market. In 1982, it opened a duty-free liquor store in Emerson, identified as the first Canadian duty-free liquor store located outside an airport. The province’s publicly administered gaming system developed separately. In 1984, the Manitoba Lotteries Foundation assumed responsibility for operating casinos and distributing lottery tickets and bingo paper. It also acquired three full-time Winnipeg bingo halls, including Bonanza Bingo and Pot O’Gold Bingo Hall. In 1989, Crystal Casino opened at Winnipeg’s Hotel Fort Garry. It was presented as the first continental-style casino in North America and the first year-round government-operated casino in Canada. Crystal Casino closed in 1999, while Manitoba’s two remaining Winnipeg casinos were renovated and expanded in preparation for the 1999 Pan American Games. The Manitoba Lotteries Foundation became a Crown corporation in 1993 and was re-established as Manitoba Lotteries Corporation. Its responsibilities included the province’s gaming operations and the operation of McPhillips Station Casino and Club Regent Casino in Winnipeg. Manitoba’s gaming landscape also expanded through agreements and developments involving First Nations casinos. Aseneskak Casino, located on Opaskwayak Cree Nation near The Pas, officially opened in February 2002. South Beach Casino followed in May 2005, and Sand Hills Casino opened in June 2014. Liquor-market policy changed in 2001, when amendments to the Liquor Control Act permitted Sunday liquor sales. In 2013, Manitoba Lotteries partnered with True North Sports & Entertainment to open the Shark Club Gaming Centre in Winnipeg’s Cityplace mall. The venue combined sports-bar and grill functions with gaming services. MBLL was created in 2013 by merging the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission with Manitoba Lotteries Corporation. The institutional change was implemented through the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation Act and the Manitoba Liquor and Gaming Control Act, which came into force on April 1, 2014. These measures consolidated the commercial sale and distribution of liquor and gaming products under MBLL, while regulatory responsibilities were transferred to the provincial liquor and gaming authority. The regulator handles licensing, compliance monitoring, charitable gaming authorization, and the technical integrity of gaming equipment and systems. In its current form, MBLL operates Liquor Mart and Liquor Mart Express stores, distributes beverage alcohol, supplies Western Canada Lottery Corporation products through authorized retailers, operates Club Regent and McPhillips Station casinos, provides video lottery terminals, and operates the PlayNow.com online gaming service. It also sources and distributes non-medical cannabis for licensed Manitoba retailers. Its commercial responsibilities coexist with a public-policy role: predecessor organizations and MBLL have supported responsible gambling, responsible alcohol consumption, impaired-driving prevention, and alcohol-awareness initiatives. These programs include public education on binge drinking and alcohol use during pregnancy, safe-ride-home efforts, and partnerships encouraging the reporting of impaired drivers.
- 2014
New Manitoba liquor and gaming framework takes effect
[1]Legislation effective April 1 formally transferred most predecessor functions to MBLL and separated commercial operations from provincial regulatory oversight.
- 2014
Sand Hills Casino opens
[1]Sand Hills Casino opened as the third First Nations casino in Manitoba.
- 2013
MBLL is formed
[1]Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation was created through the merger of Manitoba Liquor Control Commission and Manitoba Lotteries Corporation.
- 2013
Shark Club Gaming Centre opens
[1]Manitoba Lotteries opened the Shark Club Gaming Centre in Winnipeg’s Cityplace mall in partnership with True North Sports & Entertainment.
- 2005
South Beach Casino opens
[1]South Beach Casino opened as Manitoba’s second First Nations casino.
- 2002
Aseneskak Casino opens
[1]Aseneskak Casino opened on Opaskwayak Cree Nation near The Pas, becoming a major development in Manitoba’s First Nations gaming sector.
- 2001
Sunday liquor sales authorized
[1]Amendments to Manitoba’s Liquor Control Act allowed liquor sales on Sundays.
- 1993
Manitoba Lotteries becomes a Crown corporation
[1]The Manitoba Lotteries Foundation was reorganized as Manitoba Lotteries Corporation, a Crown corporation responsible for the province’s gaming operations.
- 1989
Crystal Casino opens
[1]Crystal Casino opened at Winnipeg’s Hotel Fort Garry and was described as the first continental-style casino in North America and the first year-round government-operated casino in Canada.
- 1984
Manitoba Lotteries Foundation assumes gaming responsibilities
[1]The Manitoba Lotteries Foundation took responsibility for casinos, lottery-ticket distribution, and bingo-paper distribution, and acquired three full-time Winnipeg bingo halls.
Products and positioning
A provincially owned, regulated-market operator combining liquor retail and distribution, legalized gaming, and cannabis wholesale supply for Manitoba.
Liquor retail
Liquor Mart and Liquor Mart Express
MBLL’s consumer-facing liquor retail network in Manitoba consists of Liquor Mart and smaller Liquor Mart Express stores. The stores sell beverage alcohol within the province’s controlled distribution and licensing framework. The network serves both Winnipeg and communities elsewhere in Manitoba, while regulatory supervision is provided by the provincial liquor, gaming, and cannabis authority.
Lottery gaming
Western Canada Lottery Corporation products
MBLL distributes and supports the sale of Western Canada Lottery Corporation lottery products through authorized lottery-ticket retailers in Manitoba. This gives the corporation a provincial distribution role for draw-based and other regulated lottery offerings, while the underlying products are associated with the Western Canada Lottery Corporation.
Casino gaming
Club Regent Casino
Club Regent Casino is one of the two Casinos of Winnipeg operated by MBLL. It forms part of the corporation’s land-based gaming portfolio and provides casino gaming under Manitoba’s regulated public gaming framework.
Casino gaming
McPhillips Station Casino
McPhillips Station Casino is MBLL’s second directly operated Winnipeg casino. Alongside Club Regent, it is a core component of the corporation’s casino operations and is subject to the province’s gaming integrity, licensing, and compliance requirements.
Online gaming
PlayNow.com
PlayNow.com is MBLL’s online gaming offering. It extends the corporation’s regulated gaming portfolio beyond physical casinos and retail lottery channels, providing an online platform within Manitoba’s government-administered gaming environment.
Electronic gaming
Video lottery terminals
MBLL provides video lottery terminals to eligible venues in Manitoba as part of the province’s legalized gaming system. The terminals are operated within technical and compliance standards overseen by the provincial regulator.
Cannabis distribution
Non-medical cannabis wholesale supply
MBLL sources and distributes non-medical cannabis for licensed Manitoba retailers. The corporation functions as a wholesale supply and distribution intermediary, while licensing, market oversight, and compliance responsibilities belong to the provincial liquor, gaming, and cannabis regulator.
Marketing campaigns
- 2001Responsible Gaming Policy & Strategy
Manitoba · Canada
Manitoba Lotteries introduced a responsible-gaming policy and strategy that helped establish a steering committee focused on responsible gambling. That work later contributed to the formation of the Canadian Partnership for Responsible Gambling.
Outcome. The initiative helped place responsible gambling within a broader Canadian collaborative framework.
- Be UnDrunk
Manitoba
A binge-drinking awareness program intended to encourage more responsible alcohol consumption.
- Be With Child-Without Alcohol
Manitoba
An alcohol-and-pregnancy public-awareness advertising program promoting abstention from alcohol during pregnancy.
- Be Safe & Sober
Manitoba
A public-safety campaign encouraging people to avoid impaired driving and make sober transportation choices.
- Be the Influence
Manitoba
A youth-oriented initiative designed to influence children’s attitudes toward alcohol and support healthier social norms.
- Report Impaired Driving: Call 911
Manitoba
A road-safety campaign developed with Manitoba Public Insurance, MADD Canada, and Brandon Police Service encouraging motorists to report suspected impaired drivers.
- Operation Red Nose
Manitoba
An annual safe-ride-home program that provides an alternative transportation option for people who have been drinking.
Brand decisions
2014
Separate regulation from liquor and gaming operationsStrategyBackground
The creation of MBLL required a clearer division between commercial operations and public regulation.
Action taken
Legislation transferred liquor and gaming regulatory responsibilities to the provincial liquor and gaming authority while consolidating sales and distribution functions under MBLL.
Aftermath
MBLL became the province’s operating and distribution corporation, while licensing, compliance, charitable gaming oversight, and technical integrity functions were assigned to the regulator.
2013
Merge Manitoba’s liquor and gaming Crown corporationsM&ABackground
Manitoba maintained separate Crown organizations for liquor control and gaming operations: the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission and Manitoba Lotteries Corporation.
Action taken
The provincial government created Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation by combining the two organizations.
Aftermath
The merger established a unified commercial organization for liquor and gaming, with the new framework taking effect through legislation on April 1, 2014.
2013
Open Shark Club Gaming CentreOtherBackground
Manitoba Lotteries sought to combine gaming with a sports-bar and dining environment in Winnipeg.
Action taken
The organization partnered with True North Sports & Entertainment to open Shark Club Gaming Centre at Cityplace mall.
Aftermath
The venue added a partnership-based gaming and hospitality format to Manitoba’s public gaming portfolio.
Recent events
Embark authorized to supply products in Manitoba[2]
Reported:
Embark Delta announced that Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries authorized it to supply Cannabis 2.0 branded products to Manitoba's retail and wholesale markets.
Sources2 sources
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