Alberta Set to Become Second Canadian Province to Regulate iGaming

The Canadian province of Alberta is one step closer to launching a legal market for online sports betting and iGaming.

Bill 48, the iGaming Alberta Act, passed the Alberta legislature’s Committee of the Whole last Wednesday. It will become law only after Lieutenant Governor Salma Lakhani gives the ceremonial blessing of Royal Assent.

Should the bill gain approval, Alberta would become the second Canadian province, after Ontario, to have regulated iGaming. Ontario launched its market in April 2022 and boasts 50 approved iGaming operators, including the government-owned lottery and gaming corporation.

Like Ontario, Alberta does not intend to cap the number of regulated iGaming operators.

Alberta iGaming Launch Likely in 2026, Flutter Suggests

No official date has been announced for Alberta’s introduction of legal iGaming, which would include both online sports betting and online casino play. However, FanDuel’s parent company, Flutter Entertainment, is reportedly tentatively planning on an early 2026 start.

The Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission (AGLC), which also oversees Play Alberta, will oversee the market.

In the meantime, several regulatory details — including revenue sharing — are still being sorted out.

Ontario, which reported $1.4 billion in revenue over its first full year of operation, requires operators to return approximately 20% of revenue to the province. 

Bill Aims to Shift Players Away from Offshore Sites

Proponents of Bill 48 hope the proposed legislation will help mitigate risks commonly associated with unregulated offshore sites. Minister Dale Nally noted during the bill’s introduction that a “significant number of Albertans are potentially being preyed upon by grey-market sites of illicit sites. This legislation proposes to change that. …

“Our goal is not to create new gamblers but to make existing online gambling safer.”

This includes introducing several safe gambling practices, including a centralized self-exclusion system allowing players to simultaneously block themselves from all regulated gambling websites in the province. Ontario is developing a similar system in collaboration with Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) and IXUP.

NDP Warns of Vague Language and Insufficient Oversight

Not everyone in Alberta supports legalizing iGaming. Gurinder Brar, a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the opposition New Democratic Party (NDP), voiced concerns about the bill’s lack of clarity.

“This approach is just like buying a car without knowing if it has brakes or a steering wheel,” Brar said. “It’s bound to lead to a crash.”

The bill lacks a recommended tax rate and does not outline details around licensing fees. Nally and other members of the United Conservative Party (UCP) have said specific revenue and consumer protection policies will be detailed later this year.  

The post Alberta Set to Become Second Canadian Province to Regulate iGaming appeared first on CasinoBeats.

 The Canadian province of Alberta is one step closer to launching a legal market for online sports betting and iGaming. Bill 48, the iGaming Alberta Act, passed the Alberta legislature’s Committee of the Whole last Wednesday. It will become law only after Lieutenant Governor Salma Lakhani gives the ceremonial blessing of Royal Assent. Should the
The post Alberta Set to Become Second Canadian Province to Regulate iGaming appeared first on CasinoBeats.