Alberta set to follow Ontario blueprint for igaming market
Alberta minister Dale Nally confirms the province’s intentions for the future market during this year’s Canadian Gaming Summit
Alberta will model its multi-licensed igaming market after Ontario, according to Alberta’s minister of service and red tape reduction Dale Nally.
Speaking at the Candian Gaming Summit this week, Nally announced intentions for Alberta to have an open and free market like that of Ontario, which has been live since April 2022.
Ontario recorded a betting handle of C$63bn for 2023, representing a 78% increase from its first year in operation.
Although no timeline was given for a potential launch date, Nally confirmed any market in Alberta will be run independently by the provincial government — rather than the regulator Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC).
The passing of Bill 16 in May made it possible for the provincial government to take responsibility for any potential igaming market rather than the AGLC.
The AGLC currently oversees Alberta’s sports betting market, which has been in operation since December 2021.
The Alberta market is currently run on a monopoly model via the government-owned Play Alberta site. However, there is a large gray-market presence in the province which lawmakers will be looking to reduce with a shift to an Ontario-style model.
Speaking at the summit, Nally said: “Let me tell you a little bit about what our gaming site is going to look like.
“It’s going to be very similar to Ontario, because we’re following their model. As far as I’m concerned, they build the roadmap.
“We’ll massage it a little bit but it’s been inspired by the experience in Ontario. It’s going to be an open and free market.”
During the conference, AGLC VP of gaming Dan Keene added: “Numerous gaming providers have existed in Alberta for decades.
“The goal has always been to bring safe and regulated options and capture that market share. We fully embrace what the minister is doing. Albertans are already participating, the market is already mature.
“Let’s regulate and provide those safe tools and put measures and compliance in place to get some rigour behind it and capture those revenues for the province.”