Alberta Legal Gambling Market Launch Confirmed
At the Canadian Gaming Summit last week, Dale Nally, Minister of Service and Red Tape Reduction, announced that Alberta will launch a legal iGaming market modeled after Ontario’s, with a few enhancements.
Nally stated, “Our gaming site will closely resemble Ontario's model. They’ve set a strong example, and while we’ll make some adjustments, their framework has largely inspired our approach. It’s going to be an open and free market.”
Regulatory Structure and Competition
Nally revealed that the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Board (AGLC) will not regulate the new market as it operates the government-run site, PlayAlberta, which has been active since 2020. PlayAlberta will compete directly with other licensed operators, who have already voiced concerns about this arrangement.
Under Bill 16 (the Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act), passed earlier this month, Alberta will establish a new regulatory body to oversee the legal market. This setup mirrors Ontario’s, where the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario oversees overarching gambling regulation, and iGaming Ontario (a subsidiary of the commission) manages the market and licensees.
Following Ontario’s Successful Model
Ontario was the first Canadian province to launch legal gambling in April 2022. Since then, over 1.6 million active accounts have been registered, with 49 licensed operators and 72 gaming websites operating in the market.
The Ontario market is considered a success. According to iGaming Ontario, CA$35.6 billion (£20.5bn) in total wagers and approximately CA$1.4 billion (£800mn) in total gaming revenue were generated in the first year, placing Ontario among the top five iGaming jurisdictions in North America.
Timeline Expectations
Nally did not provide a specific timeline for Alberta's market launch during his speech. However, experts anticipate that Alberta’s competitive iGaming market will launch in 2025.
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This is great news for Alberta players! The success in Ontario shows there's a big market for this. I just hope the new regulatory body can handle everything fairly and efficiently.
I’m not convinced this will go smoothly. Ontario's model might not be a perfect fit for Alberta, and without a clear timeline, it feels like there are still a lot of uncertainties.
It’s about time Alberta entered the legal iGaming market. However, I’m concerned about PlayAlberta competing directly with other operators. Hopefully, the new regulatory body will ensure fair competition.
Finally, Alberta is catching up! Ontario's model has proven successful, so it makes sense to follow their lead. I'm excited to see how this plays out and what improvements they'll bring to the table.