Alberta

In today’s news, I focus on Canada examining whether the rumours of a commercialised provincial online gambling licensing authority are true. (Photo by Alex Pugliese on Unsplash)

Canada has always been known in the online casino world as liberal, as most provinces and states allow citizens to choose to play at overseas online casinos. However, in the Canadian province of Alberta, rumours are that this may all change.

For now, the news of a provincial licensing authority open to private operators, like LeoVegas or Rootz for example, appears to be a rumour and not fact. Below are the reasons why I am currently calling this a ‘rumour’ and not a ‘fact’ until I am persuaded otherwise.

Alberta has a provincial online gambling site called Play Alberta. It is a government-operated platform under the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission (AGLC).

As per the provincial gambling laws, no commercial online casino or sports betting operators can apply for AGLC licensing and compete with the government’s Play Alberta brand. However, overseas online gambling platforms operating under Curacao and MGA licensing are still accessible to Canadian players who are citizens of Alberta.

These overseas casino establishments create competition for Play Alberta, which is one of the reasons why there are rumours that Alberta may create an Ontario-style commercial provincial online gambling licensing authority open to new operators. Yet, with all the hype that this could happen, I doubt the rumours are true.

First, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) has not made such announcements on the news pages or gaming pages featured on the AGLC website. On top of this, I cannot find any official announcements on any trustworthy Alberta or Canadian news publications that would only print this type of news if they have legitimate confirmation from an AGLC insider.

Second, the way in which the rumours have hit the casino news grapevine differs from when the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced its plans to create a provincial online gambling licensing authority. The key difference is that the AGCO announced its plans directly on its official website, and national and provincial newspapers also covered the topic.

Third, from my research on this topic, most news stories covering a new commercialised online gambling licensing authority appear to jump the gun and embellish the facts. I am not saying the stories are untrue or there is no substance behind them.

For now, my initial stance is scepticism because I cannot find any evidence from official or trustworthy sources. However, if the rumours turn out to be true, then I will happily eat my hat!

Where are the Alberta Commercial Licensing Rumours Coming From?

Several casino publications, which are also affiliate online gambling and news sites much like Casinoplusbonus, have been quick to claim that the AGLC is looking to commercialise the Alberta online gambling market. According to several of these websites, they have communicated with the VP of Gaming for the AGLC, Dan Keene.

Sites like Yogonet and Canadian Gaming Business claim that Dan Keene has told them or suggested that the province is looking into creating a licensing authority. I cannot confirm that these websites have 100% been in communication with Dan Keene, and for the moment, I will take their news with a pinch of salt until one of the national or Alberta provincial newspapers confirms the rumours are true.

What I can do for those of you who are interested in this topic is report on the news I’ve seen circulating on these affiliate casinos and news websites. Below, I will summarise what is on the rumour mill and let you know what these casino and news websites claim to know about a possible upcoming Alberta online casino licensing authority.

Yogonet Is Using Stats to Back Its News Story

On Yogonet, the author has said that a company called H2 Gambling Capital, which specializes in research, released a report covering the Alberta online gambling market. There is a link to the company, but I cannot find any publication on the site’s news pages that shows any such report exists.

For the sake of reporting what is being said, apparently 55% of sports betting and casino gaming online in Alberta is farmed out to overseas casinos that are ‘technically illegal’. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the stats from this story mean only 45% of gamblers in the province gamble at the government-operated Play Alberta casino and sportsbook.

Also, there is some mention of a Bill 16 to a Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, which hints at changes to legislation. This is part of an X (formerly Twitter) post, but again, I cannot confirm that it is directly related to a commercialised Alberta online casino licensing authority after looking through the comments.

There is some decent research on this topic too, which I do admit Yogonet has always been great at. The AGLC’s Dan Keene said that he does not call overseas casinos a grey market because Play Alberta is the only legal online casino in the province.

What’s Next?

The news team here at Casinoplusbonus will continue to follow the news in Alberta closely and see whether we can get confirmation on whether any of these rumours are true. For now, ladies and gents, take the news of a new commercialised Alberta online casino licensing authority with a pinch of salt.

Feel free to help us stay informed: If you do hear or know anything we don’t know or have not covered about this topic, please leave a comment in the comments section on this news page. We will always reply and thank you if you know anything we don’t – thank you!

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