PlayAlberta pens multi-year partnership with rodeo show Calgary Stampede
Monopoly operator to be afforded high-profile branding opportunities across 10-day festival this month
PlayAlberta has signed a multi-year deal with the annual Calgary Stampede to become the exclusive igaming and sports betting partner for the event.
The deal will see the province’s state-owned, monopoly operator link up with the promotion, which is set to host its 2024 edition between July 5 and 14.
Calgary Stampede, dubbed the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth”, includes 10 days of rodeo and chuckwagon events, as well as a host of entertainment.
Via the partnership, PlayAlberta will also become the first operator to offer odds on rodeo and chuckwagon events.
The brand will also be afforded high-profile advertising spots, including at the chuckwagon finish line and across pit signs on the rodeo’s exterior wall.
Kandice Machado, CEO of Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis, said: “The partnership between PlayAlberta.ca and the Calgary Stampede will drive entertainment value up for legal-aged Albertans.
“PlayAlberta can now present new and exciting sports betting markets at the Calgary Stampede Rodeo, such as barrel racing, chuck wagons, and bareback riding, while at the same time, present the PlayAlberta brand throughout the Stampede – reminding players of the only safe-and-secure responsible gambling option currently available to them.”
Meghan Kivisto, Calgary Stampede VP of sales, marketing and programming, said: “The Calgary Stampede Rodeo and Cowboys Rangeland Derby chuckwagon races are some of the Calgary Stampede’s most iconic events.
“We are thrilled to partner with Play Alberta to add to the excitement and energy of these events, offering an added experience for fans.”
Elsewhere, Dale Nally, Alberta’s minister of service and red tape reduction, has confirmed the province will follow Ontario’s model for bringing about a multi-licensed open market.
Speaking at the Canadian Gaming Summit in June, Nally heaped praise on stakeholders in Ontario for their efforts after the market went live in April 2022.
He 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.”