A major expansion of the Canadian igaming market is coming soon after the Canadian province of Alberta approved an expansion that will open its market considerably. Alberta will operate on the same basic model as as Ontario and will include the participation of First Nations Peoples in an, as-yet-unnamed, manner.
Under Alberta’s current igaming regimen, Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) oversees the market along with the province’s only legal online gambling site, PlayAlberta. When expansion is fully implemented, the AGLC will be responsible for implementing gaming regulations, as well as operating PlayAlberta. It’s a very odd arrangement that will involved new operators sharing sensitive data with the market’s current leader.
Alberta Minister of Service and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally described the concept in comments reported on by SBC Americas saying, “Let me tell you a little bit about what our gaming site is going to look like. It’s going to be very similar to Ontario, because we’re following their model. As far as I’m concerned, they build the roadmap. We’ll massage it a little bit but it’s been inspired by the experience in Ontario. It’s going to be an open and free market.”
While it’s very likely that Alberta will be “an open and free market”, there are many details that have yet to be nailed – like a timeline for implementation. As it stands, there is no firm timeline for when this plan might be implemented. Other important details, like how First Nations People will fit into the picture, have also not yet been revealed.
With 4.6 million residents, Alberta is Canada’s fifth largest province and has a population about the size of Louisiana or Kentucky.