The minister in charge of Alberta’s overhaul of online sports betting and internet casino gambling is hinting that the provincial government aims to launch its new iGaming market by next fall.
Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally was asked Wednesday during a panel discussion at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas what he’d like to share with people at next year’s conference.
“If I’m back here a year from now I’m bragging about [how] the Edmonton Oilers have won the Stanley Cup,” Nally said. “We’ll be talking about an open and free market in Alberta, and I’m hoping that the feedback that I get is, ‘Thank you for making our entry into your market seamless and easy.’”
In other words, hopeful they'll launch that iGaming market in Alberta before next year's G2E.
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) October 9, 2024
The Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) currently enjoys a legal monopoly on iGaming in the province via its Play Alberta brand. The government-owned operator even announced Wednesday the launch of a mobile version of its online sportsbook, and that they expect to add casino, lottery, and live-dealer products to the app in the first half of 2025.
Nevertheless, Nally’s comments suggest he wants a competitive market for online sports betting and internet casino gambling in Alberta up and running before G2E 2025, which will be held next October.
While Alberta has never publicly set a launch date, previous hints had hopes high for a launch this year or early next. That now appears off the table (for 2024, especially so) and later in 2025 seems like a more likely timeline for the launch.
“Industry stakeholders have told us that we need to continue our conversations so they can provide more input on the model,” said Brandon Aboultaif, Nally’s press secretary, in an email to Covers earlier this week. “We are doing just that. Further engagements will also help to identify opportunities to align the strategy with our red tape reduction priorities. While we aim to put the strategy forward in 2025, we will continue to provide updates as this work unfolds.”
Some of Nally’s other comments during the G2E panel indeed suggest the Alberta government is still finalizing details about its competitive iGaming market, which is expected to resemble Ontario’s in a lot of ways, such as no limit on the number of operators. Ontario is the only province in Canada with such a market at the moment.
I'm listening
The Alberta government spent the summer consulting with the province's First Nations. Some of those First Nations, Nally noted, are seeking an active role in the future iGaming market, such as by partnering with operators or launching their own brand, while others want a more passive part in the action.
Advertising regulations will also be closely watched by operators. In Ontario, regulated online sports betting and casino gaming companies cannot publicize bonuses and other inducements, and there are restrictions on the use of athletes and celebrities appearing in ads.
Nally said Wednesday that they have heard from Albertans who are concerned celebrities and athletes will have an “undue influence” on young people. However, the government has also heard from others who have said operators need to be able to compete against unregulated sites.
“We haven’t landed anywhere yet, but we are certainly very live to this conversation, because it’s important, we need to get it right,” Nally said.
The minister added that “the best way to get rid of the illegal market … is to have a healthy, regulated market,” and marketing will be part of the efforts to establish the latter.
