Alberta Making Progress Towards Ontario-Like Online Sports Betting, IGaming Market

Alberta is putting the pieces in location to develop its own Ontario-like system for online sports wagering and web casino betting.


The Western Canadian province would be the very first to follow Ontario's example, and it might do so by next year, according to some in the betting industry. Bruce Caughill, managing director for Canada at BetRivers, had this to say throughout a panel at last week's SBC Summit North America conference in New Jersey.


It's been intriguing to see it unfold, because there is a desire in the Alberta federal government to make this happen the other day, however I believe they're beginning to understand that to make things take place even quickly takes a while.


Laying a legislative structure


Caughill kept in mind legislation was tabled last month in Alberta that might enable the provincial government to produce a different entity to "perform and manage" online gambling. That entity would be in addition to the provincially owned Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis Commission, or AGLC.


AGLC is presently the only authorized iGaming operator in through its Play Alberta platform. If Alberta were to adopt an Ontario-like system, though, AGLC could be simply one of numerous regulated operators in the province, which has a population size similar to that of Kentucky and Oregon. Ontario produced an additional "conduct and handle" firm of its own, iGaming Ontario, before launching its competitive market for online betting.


Bill 16, the legislation including the brand-new powers to "perform and manage," the legal term for controlling betting in Canada, was passed by a committee of the entire in the Alberta legislature on Tuesday.


Caughill stated he anticipates provincial lawmakers to approve it "soon," which would put 2025 in play for a launch of a competitive iGaming market in the province.


Secondly, there appears to be every indication that they're merely going to white label the Ontario licensing program. That's sort of the hope that you can transition right into that model if you're already in Ontario.


Confidence from the courts


Ontario's iGaming market launched in April 2022 and now consists of practically 50 operators, including the provincial lottery game, along with more than 1.3 million active gamer accounts. The regulative structure was also reinforced this week by an Ontario court dismissing a legal obstacle of the province's online gambling plan.