Gambling fans in Alberta will be able to legally wager on their favorite sporting events in a couple of months. Legislators in the province have already okayed new measures to facilitate regulated iGaming.
Alberta is aiming to become Canada's second fully legalized market for online gaming and sports betting. Thanks to new measures under the legislative Bill 48, the province will soon join the big leagues of regulated sports betting just like Ontario. Dale Nally, Alberta's unofficial iGaming czar, certainly left that impression when he took the stage at the Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto last Wednesday. He hinted at something much bigger on the horizon for the province's gaming future.
Dale's latest remarks match what he's said before and what the betting industry was hoping to hear. Alberta's government already gave the green light to parts of Bill 48 so It's all coming together. Things can now move forward while they sort out the finer details.
Nally shared that Alberta is using Ontario's three-year-old setup as a handy guide. The jurisdiction is also consulting with industry professionals in Toronto for tips. Nally plans to regroup with the Cabinet this fall to tackle big questions. These include advertising rules, taxes, and even whether athletes should be allowed to participate in betting.
As you would expect, emotions are running high on that one. Albertans love to work hard, and they play even harder. Many enjoy gambling just for fun. Now that Bill 48 is officially law, Alberta will establish the iGaming Corporation to regulate online gambling.
Everyone's keeping an eye on Alberta. Nally even mentioned how much money locals dropped on the Oilers' 50/50 draws during the playoffs. The new law sets the stage for private betting sites and online casinos to operate legally. New establishments can now compete with the government-run Play Alberta. Play Alberta is the only official option right now, but many people still use unlicensed sites. In fact, these "grey market" operators handle most of the province's online bets.
The Gaming Association is encouraging other provinces to follow Ontario and Alberta's steps. The betting scene is moving fast, and there's no time to sit back. Most provinces still rely on old-school lottery systems. British Columbia runs a monopoly that covers everything from poker to slots to bingo. Paul Burns, the President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Canadian Gaming Association says some provinces are still following an old deal from the 1980s that gave them control over gambling.
However, other provinces are starting to pay attention to the way the likes of Alberta are making big moves. They have learned from how Ontario set things up. British Columbia and Quebec for instance are already in discussions with the Canadian Gaming Association about implementing their own iGaming rules.
Burns noted how Canada was well-positioned for online gambling. The huge number of people using smartphones and the widespread adoption of electronic banking in the 2000s are the biggest contributors. He says many Canadians turned to offshore betting sites simply because they were easy to access and had what people wanted. Thus, an expansion of the regulated market across the nation’s provinces is a no-brainer.
Blackjack
Roulette
Slots
Video Poker
Baccarat
Poker
