Online gambling could soon become a reality in Alberta, bringing exciting opportunities for thousands of gaming enthusiasts across the province. Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis is taking the necessary steps for implementing the new offering in the foreseeable future and the first one is, of course, probing the field and seeking potential partners developing this new project that could launch by the end of 2020.
Making gaming even more accessible via online and mobile offerings oriented towards the younger generation could be possible in Alberta, with the help of recent actions in this direction. The Crown corporation overseeing the gambling field and providing the necessary set of rules recently made a move in this direction and considered introducing Canada-based online gambling to Albertaās residents. In order to make this possible, however, it would have to find the right partner that would ensure future success.
Online Gambling Could Soon Become Reality
It happened without drawing too much attention, but still resonated throughout the industry and send out the message that Alberta is ready to bring something new to players. A request for proposals sought companies willing to showcase their skills and introduce the most advanced online gambling platform. Playersā expectations are high and they should be met by offerings available in the province.
Only hours after the request was out, technology suppliers were already expressing their contentment and capability of working on future online gambling opportunities in Alberta. For the time being their names have not been revealed, but interest demonstrated shows that the field is ready to welcome new offerings and companies consider themselves competent enough to bring a quality product to it. Canadians are able to burn through some CA$358 million a year on foreign online gambling sites, which is a considerable amount of cash.
Albertaās gaming regulator strives to make it more convenient for local players to enjoy their favorite pastime activity and support the local community in the meantime. Projections are that a considerable portion of the aforementioned amount of cash will be retained within the borders of the province with the introduction of local online gambling platform. This will essentially make Saskatchewan the sole province still unable to offer local online gaming to its residents.
CA$358 Million Slip Away Annually
Mobile gambling is one of the more appealing possibilities of development at the moment, as it brings the element of easy access anytime, anywhere. Mobile phones have become an essential part of our day-to-day lives and for many people, it only makes sense for them to be utilized for gambling as well. Desktop gambling targets another subdivision of online gambling enthusiasts that would prefer the convenience of a PC when they gamble.
It could be recalled that 2015 saw another attempt at introducing mobile gambling on a provincial level and there were even estimations for its launch before the end of that year. Considered moving at a breakneck speed, the Crown Corporation managed to make the first steps. With the help of a tender several companies filed their applications, but by December it became clear that the province is not prepared for launch, confirmed by Finance Minister Joe Ceci.
Now this second attempt could bring actual results, especially in the light of recent revenue report issued by the AGLC, showing that video lottery terminals and slot machines witnessed their first revenue jump since 2015. They bagged a total of CA$1.736 billion over the span of the fiscal year, marking a significant CA$4-million jump in comparison to last fiscal yearās CA$1.732 billion. This shows that players are willing to explore more interactive gaming opportunities.
