The gambling industry in Canada has been through some significant upheaval over the last few years and the regulatory situation continues to be in flux across the nation.
Some of the biggest changes have occurred in Ontario, where the newly regulated gaming industry has expanded to over 50 operators in just two years, and other states and gambling operators have been watching Ontario’s progress with keen interest.
The scale of the gambling sector in Calgary and across Alberta is less dramatic than in Ontario, but there are changes afoot that could have a profound impact for gambling companies, politicians, legal bodies and gambling customers throughout the state.
State of iGaming Play in Alberta
As in Ontario, residents of Calgary can play online casino games. Unlike Ontario, however, they can only do so through the monopoly operator Play Alberta.
Founded in 2021, Play Alberta is the hub for all online casino gaming, along with sports betting and lottery services. Through Play Alberta, it is possible to access slots and traditional casino games such as roulette, blackjack, video poker and baccarat. These games include some of the most popular titles reviewed on casino advisory site CasinoTopsOnline and the Play Alberta site is generally well-regarded for the range of gaming options it offers.
Laws and Regulations
In Calgary, as across Alberta, iGaming is regulated by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission (AGLC). This is a major regulatory body that also oversees video lottery terminals and real world casinos. It has the responsibility for ensuring that all betting practices across Calgary and Alberta are in line with rules on responsible gambling.
Other relevant gambling bodies include the Alberta Gaming Research Institute (AGRI) and the Alberta Gaming Research Council (AGRC) which are involved in research into the social impact of gambling.
One of the most important provisions in law is the age limit. To register and play at Play Alberta, a customer has to be aged 18 or over. As the sole iGaming provider, Play Alberta is also required to adhere to a series of rules around responsible gambling. These include warning customers about the potential risks of gambling, providing resources to help those at risk of problem gambling, offering self-exclusion programs and ensuring that all advertising is carried out responsibly.
Gateway to Ontario?
Play Alberta’s monopoly in the provision of iGaming services has so far not been challenged, but that may end over the next few months, thanks to legislative measures that could lead to an Ontario-style iGaming and sports betting market across the province.
In May of this year, lawmakers in Alberta passed the Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act, also known as Bill 16, and it became law after receiving Royal Assent.
The Bill is essentially a package of adjustments to existing regulations, but one of the most eye catching amendments concerned which authority has the power to run iGaming services in the province. Until the passage of Bill 16, it was the AGLC alone that had this power. That legal situation has now changed as Bill 16 made it clear that the government of Alberta also had the authority to set up and manage a gambling sector within the province.
After a short delay while the Alberta government sought clarification and considered its options, an announcement was made on 20 June, at the Canadian Gaming Summit, that the Alberta authorities intended to launch a regulated and competitive iGaming sector, along the lines of that of Ontario. It is not considered likely that the market will be ready to launch this year, but a 2025 launch appears to be on the cards, and would represent a dramatic upheaval in the Alberta gambling landscape.
Start of a Process
So far, Alberta, like most other provinces, has stuck to the monopoly model. That has been increasingly difficult to sustain, however, given the apparent success of the open competition model that was launched in Ontario in April 2022.
For gaming operators, Alberta is an attractive province, with a population that is roughly the size of Oregon, and an already-established gambling culture. A newly competitive gambling market would presumably follow the model of many US states as well as Ontario, by inviting gaming operators to apply for licences, while heavily regulating their activities.
While there are multiple models available to help Alberta regulators craft the new gambling sector, there are potential pitfalls. Concern about the potential impact of expanded gambling on Calgary and Alberta society could yet cause delay to the creation of the new sector.
There is also the issue of First Nation rights. Six of Alberta’s 47 First Nations are involved in running real world casinos in the province, and a failure to properly address the concerns and needs of First Nation tribes has caused problems and delays in implementing gambling sectors in other territories across North America, most notably Florida.
There appears to be plenty of political will in Calgary to introduce an Ontario-style iGaming sector, and if, as seems likely, this launches at some point in 2025, it will be one of the most significant developments in Albertan gambling in the province’s history.
