Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante says Loto-Québec and Groupe CH, which owns the Montreal Canadiens, should aim for “social acceptability” and approval from Montreal Public Health before they install a mini-casino at the Bell Centre.

“I share the opinion of Public Health on this subject, meaning there has to be social acceptability. That’s paramount,” Plante said at a news conference on Wednesday after La Presse reported that the Groupe CH and Loto-Québec were in discussions to add a mini-casino at the downtown hockey shrine.

Plante, who is also borough mayor of Ville-Marie, where the Bell Centre is located, noted that Public Health had expressed strong concerns about the impact of a casino that was planned years ago in Griffintown on vulnerable people living in the then-economically depressed area.