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.