Alberta government debuts bill to introduce regulated iGaming

After much anticipation, the Alberta Government has introduced a new bill that seeks to establish the province as Canada’s second regulated iGaming market.

Following in the footsteps of Ontario, lawmakers on Wednesday (26 March) introduced Bill 48, the iGaming Alberta Act, which proposes a framework to authorise and regulate sports betting and iGaming sites.

If passed, the new legislation will see the province create the Alberta iGaming Corporation to set rules for online casinos and safeguard users.

Grey market presence fuelling regulatory efforts

Currently, the only authorised option for players in the province is the government-run Play Alberta, a platform offering sports betting and iGaming overseen by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC).

However, Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, told reporters that “we are seeing unregulated actors creep into our marketplace” that often do not implement appropriate player protection measu..