Commercial Online Casino Market Coming to Alberta

The Canadian province of Alberta is putting plans in place to become the nation’s second to introduce a licensed and regulated commercial online casino market so as to better protect players and boost contributions to the public purse. 

Alberta is home to slightly over 4.3 million people and currently allows local iGaming aficionados to enjoy a wide range of entertainment via its mobile-friendly PlayAlberta domain. The site run by the state-owned Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission premiered in October of 2020 and today hosts slot sites, and sports betting, as well as a large range of lottery, instant, and live dealer games.

Considerable Consultation

Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally recently told Paramount Commerce’s The iGaming Show podcast he would now like to give local iGaming punters even more choice by rolling out a commercial online casino market. The United Conservative Party politician revealed his office has been meeting with regulators and operators from across Canada and the world since June in hopes of being able to liberalize the Alberta iGaming market by the end of next year.

 “We have engaged with a lot of the online operators, and we heard from them loud and clear that they would not come to Alberta as long as the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission is the regulator,” Nally said.

Specific Solution 

Nally explained commercial online casino operators were wary of giving the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission oversight powers because it would consequently have direct access to their own data despite already running a competing service in PlayAlberta. 

This comes after the twice-elected figure helped pass Bill 16 in April in order to further clarify ministerial authority over gaming and pave the way for the western province to potentially establish a new independent regulator.

“We would also further clarify that government as well as the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission has the authority to conduct and manage gaming activities in the province,” read an April statement from Nally.

Impressive Illustration

Nally told the St. Albert Gazette his office has been particularly amazed by the commercial Ontario online casino market, which went live as the nation’s first in 2022 and today encompasses 80 domains run by 50 licensed operators.

He furthermore admitted to being particularly awestruck by the fact this scene’s aggregated first-quarter revenues most recently increased by over 34% year-on-year to reach almost $525 million.

“I have to say our best partner has been Ontario,” Nally said. “It’s been a good friend to us and has been very agreeable to working with us; sharing its best practices, what went well, what didn’t go well and what we could do better.”

Earlier Example

In terms of what any future commercial online casino market in Alberta could look like, Nally told an audience at the Canadian Gaming Summit in June that his office is particularly keen on following the mould of Ontario.

“It’s going to be very similar to Ontario because we’re following its model, Nally said. “As far as I’m concerned, it built the roadmap. We’ll massage it a little bit but it’s been inspired by the experience in Ontario and it’s going to be an open and free market.”

Player Protection

However, Nally asserted the incoming Alberta regulatory model is to likely feature something Ontario’s does not, which is a coordinated voluntary self-exclusion scheme to help minimize gambling-related harm. 

The minister’s spokesperson, Brandon Aboultaif, told the newspaper such a program would allow aficionados who may be worried about their spending to quickly and easily bar themselves from enjoying any forms of licensed gambling entertainment. 

“Ensuring the integrity of online gambling in the province is one of the key reasons we’re looking to expand Alberta’s markets,” Aboultaif said.

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