Alberta, Canada introduces Bill 48 to regulate online gambling
The Alberta government has introduced Bill 48, the iGaming Alberta Act, aiming to create a regulated online gambling market and establish the Alberta iGaming Corporation. The proposed legislation seeks to enhance consumer protection and social responsibility while ensuring gambling revenues stay within the province.
Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, emphasised that the bill is not about encouraging new gamblers but about making online gambling safer. “Our goal is not to create new gamblers, but to make existing online gambling safer,” Nally said in a press conference. “As the gaming industry continues to evolve globally and in Alberta, it is important that we modernise Alberta’s approach to gaming to protect the health and safety of Albertans, particularly our youth.”
Addressing unregulated online gambling
Currently, Alberta’s only legal online gambling platform is PlayAlberta, operated by Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC). However, many Albertans access unregulated gambling sites that offer limited or no player protection.
“We are seeing unregulated actors creep into our marketplace, many of which are located outside of the province and even outside of Canada,” Nally noted. “We know that unregulated sites may not provide protections for their players in terms of social responsibility or consumer protection, and we want to change that.”
The new legislation will mandate that online gambling operators register and adhere to regulations that ensure safer gambling practices. “That’s not red tape. That’s responsible regulation because it will help to ensure that Albertans who choose to gamble online are better protected,” Nally added.
Protecting consumers with social responsibility tools
The Alberta iGaming Act aims to introduce safeguards such as a self-exclusion system, allowing individuals to restrict their access to online gambling voluntarily. “One of the protections we will be bringing to the market is a centralised self-exclusion platform,” Nally announced. “This platform will provide online gamblers who want to take a break from gambling with the ability to block or exclude themselves from being able to access online gambling sites.”
Nally stressed that while gambling will always carry risks, the government’s role is to make it as safe as possible. “We know that no form of gambling is truly safe, but we can help make it safer by making sure it comes with key social responsibility tools,” he said.
Revenue retention and economic impact
The introduction of a regulated market will also allow the Alberta government to capture gambling revenues currently lost to offshore operators. “Without a regulated market, we are losing out on revenue being generated by unregulated operators. In fact, it’s going straight out of Alberta and often out of the country,” Nally explained. “This is revenue that could be reinvested into our province to benefit all Albertans.”
However, he rejected the idea that the bill is purely revenue-driven. “Our iGaming strategy is not about revenue generation. It’s not a cash grab, and we’re not doing this with an aim to grow the market,” Nally clarified. “Our goal is to reduce the size and scope of the illicit market by channelling unregulated operators into a regulated market where consumers are protected and gambling safety is top of mind.”
Industry support for a regulated market
Industry stakeholders, including theScore, a sports betting company, have welcomed the move. Adam Kates, vice president of compliance at theScore, praised the government’s approach. “We commend Premier Smith, Minister Nally, and their teams on all their efforts to bring an open and competitive regulated online gaming marketplace to Alberta,” Kates said.
“We are fully supportive of a model that has proven to generate new revenue, protect consumers, and shift wagering activity to the regulated market, and we’re confident that these benefits will be realised in Alberta,” he added. “We look forward to supporting the process ahead and ultimately having an opportunity to introduce theScore Bet to Albertans.”
“The industry is excited for this next step to bring an open and competitive iGaming market to Alberta,” Paul Burns, CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association said.
Next steps for Alberta’s iGaming strategy
If approved, the iGaming Alberta Act will establish the Alberta iGaming Corporation to oversee private operators while designating AGLC as the regulator to ensure market integrity and compliance. The government has consulted with stakeholders, including First Nations and gaming operators, to shape the framework.
“The work on our strategy really kicked into high gear last year when we met with racing entertainment centre operators and First Nations to discuss what a possible iGaming model could look like,” Nally said. “Their input was valuable, and we thank them for it.”
With Bill 48 now introduced, Alberta is moving towards a modernised, regulated online gambling industry designed to provide consumer protections, enhance social responsibility, and retain economic benefits for the province.
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