The Alberta government has introduced Bill 48, a.k.a. the “iGaming Alberta Act,” to legalize commercial online casinos and sportsbooks in the province.
The legislation provides a framework for Alberta’s plan to regulate private-sector gambling operators in an expanded provincial market. As part of that, the bill creates the Alberta iGaming Corporation, which will “conduct and manage” the market much like iGaming Ontario does in that province.
According to the official announcement, the bill primarily intends to “make online gambling as safe as possible for Albertans.” Something the government says is difficult given the easy access to unregulated online operators.
From the release:
Currently, unregulated online gambling is widely available across the province. Albertans can sign up and place a bet in minutes with providers that have limited or no player protection or social responsibility measures in place.
The government says the proposed changes will ensure Albertans (18 and up) can “safely gamble online in a regulated market.” Seemingly, the hope is that more plentiful legal options will keep players on legal sites and away from unregulated operators.
Currently, the only regulated online casino and sportsbook available is the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) operated Play Alberta.
Player safety is Alberta’s primary goal
The release quotes Dale Nally, Alberta’s minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, who said the shift is about making gambling safer.
Our goal is not to create new gamblers, but to make existing online gambling safer. As the gaming industry continues to evolve globally and in Alberta, it is important that we modernize Alberta’s approach to gaming to protect the health and safety of Albertans, particularly our youth. The legislation we are introducing, if approved, would take the first steps towards this.
During a Wednesday press conference, Nally said the bill’s introduction comes after years of laying the groundwork.
Today, we have taken another important step in our bid to make online gambling safer for Alberta, capped revenue that is currently being lost to unregulated and illicit sites. It is the culmination of hard work that my department and I have done over the last two years.
While Bill 48 still has to pass the legislature, Nally and the governing United Conservative Party have a provincial majority, so it should pass easily.
If you build it, they will come
Nally highlighted Play Alberta’s gains since its 2020 launch and applauded AGLC for all its hard work. However, he also acknowledged that offshore, unregulated sites are a risk the government hopes to kneecap by giving players more options.
We are seeing unregulated actors creep into our marketplace, many of which are located outside of the province and even outside of Canada. And we know that unregulated sites may not provide protections in terms of social responsibility or consumer protection, and we want to change that.
Nally said that while capturing revenue lost to the unregulated market is of some concern, opening the market is not about money.
Let me make this clear, our iGaming strategy is not about revenue generation. It’s not a cash grab, and we’re not doing this with the aim to grow the market. Our goal is to reduce the size and scope of the illicit market by channeling unregulated operators into a regulated market where they are regulated, where consumers are protected, and gambling safety is top of mind.
Gray market operators want to be legal; they want to be regulated, Nally said.
It’s a simple case of, if you build it, they will come. And we know this because they told us that. So we anticipate that the gray market will embrace this.
Legislation first, details later
While it’s too early to give specifics about the market’s shape, Nally said it would launch with a centralized self-exclusion program.
At the risk of getting too far ahead of myself. I’m happy to let you know that one of the protections we will be bringing to the market is a centralized self-exclusion platform. This platform will provide online gamblers who want to take a break from gambling with the ability to block or exclude themselves from being able to access online gambling sites, just as Albertans who choose to gamble on Play Alberta or Alberta’s casinos and racing entertainment centers can exclude themselves from gambling at those places too.
While answering reporters’ questions, Nally hesitated to provide an opening date. However, he eventually said it would likely be the end of this year or early next. He also shied away from estimating expected tax revenues or detailing the government’s plans for that money, saying, “It’s just too early in the game.”
Introducing the bill is the first step. If it passes, the nitty-gritty details will come later, he added.
We have worked hard to set up the infrastructure to strike a balance between increasing consumer choice by opening up Alberta’s regulated iGaming market, while also taking steps to ensure our standards for social responsibility and public safety are met. More details on the regulations and specific social responsibility policies will be shared later this year.
Nally added that the government wants Albertans who gamble online to have the same protections they have at casinos, buying 50/50 or dream home tickets or playing bingo.
We know that no form of gambling is truly safe, but we can help make it safer by making sure it comes with key social responsibility tools.
PlayAlberta announces updated logo, app refresh
Following the government’s legislative news today, the AGLC announced updates for Play Alberta, which is still Alberta’s only legal online platform—at least for now.
As part of the refresh, the online platform has a new logo, which the AGLC says better represents the province. Additionally, the app was refreshed to include more casino and live dealer options, instant games, lottery choices, and a new sportsbook.
Dan Keene, AGLC’s vice president of gaming, lauded the brand’s five-year evolution.
Play Alberta is an entertainment destination for Albertans. Expanding the features available to them through the app continues to optimize their playing experience. I’m excited to see the brand evolve from where we started five years ago to what it has become today, celebrating a unique Alberta platform, with an identity that celebrates our province.
Play Alberta’s official app—which AGLC says delivers a seamless player experience—is available through the Apple and Google Play stores.
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