Alberta will outline its competitive market for online sports betting and internet casino gambling in “enabling” legislation introduced next spring.
Covers sat down for an interview with Alberta's iGaming minister last week, discussing what details still need to get sorted before the province's competitive online sports betting and casino gambling market can launch.Good things come to those who wait, and those waiting for another regulated iGaming market to open in Canada are hearing they’ll ultimately get an operator-friendly model in Alberta.
However, when Alberta launches its new iGaming market, it will open the doors for private-sector operators to legally do business in a jurisdiction with a population similar to that of Kentucky and Oregon. Nevertheless, Alberta wants its iGaming market to be alluring enough for operators to join. That is key to ensuring unregulated entities currently doing business in the province come under local regulation.
Although Alberta considered drafting operator contracts that could detail its regulatory structure, the province now wants a law on the books before anything gets signed. “We haven’t landed on that either,” Nally said. “These are live conversations where we’re saying ‘Look, how do we manage this? Do we need to go with an iGO-type organization or can we do it in-house?’ And the reality is we don’t know. We’re doing that work now to decide.”
“We have a unique charitable gaming model to Alberta, and that is one that is very generous,” Nally said. “One of the challenges we have in the iGaming space is the revenues are not as large in terms of the percentage the government gets. And so it does create challenges. That said, ultimately, it will be a government decision where we land.
“We think people are going to know on day one whether they want to join our market or not,” the minister said. “And if they say to us, ‘We want to join your market but it won’t be for 60 days,’ we’re going to say ‘Fine, we’ll be ready for you in 60 days but we want you to start recognizing the advertising requirements now,’ so at least there’s a level playing field.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
How Alberta’s iGaming, Sports Betting Model May Differ from Ontario’sAlberta’s version of a competitive framework for online sports betting and casino gambling operators could look slightly different from Ontario's.
Read more »
Alberta Minister Hopes for iGaming, Sports Betting Launch By Fall 2025The Alberta government may now be aiming to launch its new iGaming market by next fall.
Read more »
WNBA playoffs betting roundtable - Betting tips for first round, futuresBetting tips and championship picks before the first round of the highly-anticipated 2024 WNBA Playoffs.
Read more »
D.C. Sports Betting Surpasses 2023’s Totals in Just 8 Months of 2024FanDuel sparked new life into an underperforming market, and new regulatory changes paved the way for a competitive marketplace.
Read more »
Missouri considers legalizing online sports betting as Congress pushes for guardrailsPolitical News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government
Read more »
DraftKings, FanDuel Double Missouri Sports Betting Campaign InvestmentFanDuel and DraftKings have doubled their contributions in support of an upcoming ballot measure that would legalize sports betting in Missouri.
Read more »