Gambling in Alberta

Alberta does not prohibit any gambling activity but regulates it with the certain body.

Alberta - the age limit is 18 years old. Casino gambling, lotteries and betting are allowed;

In Alberta, there is “Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis Commission (AGLC)” that regulates the gambling activity:

• charities licensed to run bingo, casino events and lottery tickets;
• private operators who own casinos used by licensees;
• bingo associations that operate bingo halls on behalf of licensees;
• racetrack operators who operate racing entertainment centres;
• indigenous operators of Canada;
• private enterprises operating lottery kiosks and slot machine halls.

There is a particular exemption from the regulation rule - the River Cree Resort and Casino which is located on the Enoch Cree Indian Reserve, since it is owned by the Enoch Cree Nation.

History of the gambling business in Alberta

As Alberta is home to some of Canada's oldest casinos, it should come as no surprise that the province as a whole has a rich gambling history.

Back in the 1920s, organized gambling in the form of church bingo and horse racing bets were registered in Alberta.

Permanent charity casinos began to form in the 1980s, including Cash Casino Calgary in 1980 and Edmonton Casino ABS in 1981.

By 1995, eleven casinos had opened in the province, gradually evolving into luxury holiday destinations, which we know most are today.

How to Choose the Best Casino in Alberta?

Step 1 – We always recommend reading the players’ reviews about the casinos here on our site. All reviews are from real players who have had their own experiences. If you are interested in a question, you can ask it. For each casino, you can ask a question.

Step 2 – Check what hotel is relevant to you when you are visiting Alberta. Please, remember that many casinos have the hotel attached to it already. You can check the photos, look for the best prices and book your room.

Step 3 – You can check the best casinos according to the games that are available in the casinos. Some of the games can miss from the list of available entertainment.

Step 4 – Check the casino close to other entertainments in the region. This will provide you with opportunity to escape to the reality world quicker.

Step 5 – Choose the casino according to the position of the airport you are landing. Some casinos offer the direct transfer from the airport to the casino that will make your life much easier. You can choose the Edmonton International Airport or Calgary International Airport. 

Casino Games in Alberta

The Province of Alberta has issued many licenses for small casinos, but few have attached hotels, and none is a major resort.

In addition to these casinos, there are temporary caissons created during major festivals such as the K-Days, a large "game room" full of VLTs in many bars and approximately 50 bingo halls around the world.

Alberta Racecourse has four racing entertainment centres or (REC).

Table Games

River Cree Casino Resort offers the players different variations of slots, table games that include Blackjack, Baccarat, Sic Bo, Roulette, and Poker.

Poker and Roulette

Roulette is one of the most famous games in Alberta. According to the statistics, most of the visitors in land-based casinos played several variations of Roulette.

Also, Poker is quite popular in the province. In fact, there always Poker tables available in every casino.

Bingo

Moreover, there is Bingo that is available to the players. Interestingly enough, you need to apply for Bingo license extra by the commission.

Horse Racing

Century Downs Racetrack and Casino - A casino and horse racing track near Calgary. It is one of two Alberta A-level racing venues, bringing live racing back to the Calgary area for the first time since June 15, 2008. Century Downs offers live Standardbred horse racing on weekends and holidays from April to November. The casino has 550 slot machines, seven VLTs, and an Off-Track area that hosts both Standardbred and Thoroughbred races from around the world. The hotel has a lounge and restaurant Mid City Grill.

Century Mile Racetrack and Casino is a casino and racetrack located adjacent to Edmonton International Airport. Owned by Century Casinos, it is one of two "A-level" racing grounds in Alberta and the only one-mile racetrack in Western Canada. The Century Mile offers purebred races from April to August and standard races from September to January. The casino has over 600 slot machines and VLTs, electronic blackjack, baccarat and roulette, and an off-track betting area for simultaneous wagering for both purebred and standard races from across North America. The hotel has Derby Restaurant, open daily, Lounge and Finish Line Restaurant, which serves buffet on race days.

Slot Machines

There are over 1000 slot machines that are available in the land-based casinos in Alberta. You can play different slot machines with the RTP of about 69%. Do not forget that these slots have the high volatility and do not pay out as high as online slots. 

Responsible Gambling in Alberta

In response to the concerns of gambling addiction, ALGC told Global News that the site contains a variety of resources and that they seek to reflect the same “social responsibility presence” seen in land-based casinos and racing entertainment centres in the province.

“Players can access a suite of Responsible Gaming features and can set daily, weekly and monthly deposit limits to control how much they spend,” the statement said.

In the province of Alberta, you can get free help with gambling addiction treatment at any government clinic, as in Canada, the fight against gambling addiction is protected by the Canadian government. One of the biggest sites to contact is https://gamesenseab.ca/get-support/the-self-exclusion-program/.

In Alberta, you can also call the hotline under 1-866-461-1259 to reach Alberta Problem Gambling Resources Network.

We can also bring up few comments from the people who were negatively affected by the gaming experience:

1. Mr. Lee, the player who lost a substantial amount of money and had to go to rehab and deal with depression caused by gambling, states: “Do you know how quickly people can lose money on their credit cards? " he asked. “I know friends who lose between $ 5,000 and $ 10,000 on a credit card in a day.”

2. Ms. James stated that she tried to commit suicide from her gambling addiction. She stated: “You can tell if someone is drunk, you can tell if someone is high,” she added. "But you can't tell if someone is an avid gambler."

Do not forget that gambling can cause the permanent damage on your life.

Gambling Complaints in Alberta

There is no single register of self-excluded individuals in Alberta. Local authorities set the terms for possible suspension and the procedure for including players on these lists.

Gambling service providers are required to ensure that complaints or disputes can be filed. To register an appeal, users must provide personal data, detail the essence of the dispute and the steps taken to resolve the problem.

Players have the right to file a complaint against AGLC licensees within 7 days from the date the licensee registered an official complaint. The limitation period for an incident should be no more than 6 months.

What to do in Alberta?

You can be excited to visit Alberta not only because of the casinos but because of the different sightseeing that are one-of the kind and worth your time.

1. Millennium Park, which opened in Calgary in 2000, is America's largest skate park. It is available to visitors around the clock, and visiting the park is absolutely free. This park was created specifically so that young people could go in for skateboarding and rollerblading. The work surface is 75,000 square feet. 35,000 visitors annually visit the park.

The park was built in the western part of Calgary city, on the site where the stadium was located. The construction was carried out with the support of one of the large companies, currently the park is run by the municipality.

Millennium Park is a great place for a positive pastime, active recreation and exercise for emotions. In addition, various events are regularly held here, such as the International Reggae Festival, which has been held here since 2000.

2. Lake Moraine is located in Banff National Park, 14 kilometers outside the village of Lake Louise, Alberta in Canada. It is located in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, at an altitude of about 1885 meters. The lake area is about half a square kilometre. The lake is constantly fed by the glacier and reaches its maximum filling from mid to late June. When it is full, it reflects different shades of blue due to the refraction of light on the uneven, rocky bottom of the lake. There are hiking trails around the lake that are sometimes closed due to grizzly bears.

3. In the Rocky Mountains of Canada, there is one of the most beautiful places on the planet - Banff National Park. This is a rich natural world and amazing landscapes, looking at which you forget about the passage of time.

The oldest Canadian park is located in the province of Alberta. On its territory there is a small town of the same name. There are always a lot of people in this place, because tourists from all over the world come here to see with their own eyes the amazing beauty of virgin nature and taste the healing water from local mineral springs.

4. Although both peaks clearly stand out from the entire mountain range, the southern peak is the highest. To the east, the foot of Victoria is washed by the waters of Lake Louise. There is also an extensive glacier there. In summer, avalanches often fall into a narrow gorge formed by a steep slope, which guides call a "death trap".

5. The Dumpling Monument is a unique architectural structure in the small town of Glendon, Canada. The monument is one of the few in the world dedicated to this particular culinary dish. The monument is a huge dumpling on a long fork.

6. Drumheller

If you are interested in the topic of dinosaurs, then you should definitely visit Drumheller. This city is located 110 kilometres northeast of Calgary in the Red Deer River Valley, also known as the Valley of the Dinosaurs. South of the city, you can see the largest dinosaur in the world, the royal tyrannosaurus 26 meters high.

Interesting Facts about Alberta

1. Alberta is one of three Canadian provinces and territories bordering only one US state (the others are New Brunswick and Yukon). It is also one of two Canadian provinces that are landlocked (the other is Saskatchewan).
2. Province motto: "Strong and free"
3. Roughly two-thirds of the province's population is under forty, making Alberta one of the youngest provinces in developed countries.
4. Alberta is affectionately called Princess Province. The province is named after Louise Caroline Alberta, one of the daughters of Queen Victoria.
5. Wolverine, the character from X-Men, comes from Alberta.