Alberta’s efforts to regulate its online gambling market have encountered a setback. On April 30, 2025, during a meeting of the Alberta legislature’s Committee of the Whole, proposed amendments aimed at strengthening responsible gambling (RG) provisions within the iGaming Alberta Act were voted down. This bill, which sets the framework for a regulated commercial online gambling market in the province, has sparked a debate, particularly about the scope of player protection measures.
The iGaming Alberta Act, introduced by Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally, aims to establish a regulatory structure for online gambling. However, the NDP’s proposed amendments focused on improving RG safeguards, particularly through the establishment of a harm reduction-based online responsible gambling program. While the bill itself is on track, the rejection of these amendments reflects broader tensions regarding the approach to responsible gambling in the legislation.
The iGaming Alberta Act: Creating a Regulated Market
The iGaming Alberta Act proposes the creation of a new government agency, the Alberta iGaming Corporation, which would oversee the online gambling market, much like iGaming Ontario, Canada’s first regulated private-sector market. Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) would continue its role as the regulatory authority, ensuring that all operators within the market comply with local laws.
Alberta’s move to regulate online gambling is seen as an attempt to capture lost revenue currently flowing to offshore operators who remain unregulated by provincial law. Play Alberta, the province’s only regulated gambling platform, has seen success but is only responsible for a fraction of Alberta’s online gambling activity, leaving the rest to unregulated platforms.
The NDP’s Push for Stronger Responsible Gambling Measures
While Bill 48 moves forward, the NDP voiced concerns over the lack of explicit RG measures in the legislation. MLA Gurinder Brar, one of the most vocal critics, proposed amendments requiring the establishment of a dedicated online responsible gambling program. The amendments included mandatory independent evaluations and annual public reporting to assess the effectiveness of these safeguards.
“The basic process of public policy is to design it, to implement it and to evaluate it. And if there are gaps, those gaps must be addressed and fixed,” Brar emphasized during the committee debate. Despite gaining support from several other NDP members, the proposed amendments were defeated in a vote of 38 nays to 16 yays.
Minister Nally responded by emphasizing that RG measures should be handled through regulatory frameworks, not statutory law. He argued that this approach would allow for more flexibility, enabling the government to implement changes quickly if needed.
“We don’t want to put player safety in legislation,” Nally said. “We want to put it in regulation so that if we see something we want to turn around on a dime, we’re able to do it through an order in council, not a new piece of legislation.”
The Alberta Government’s Plan: Regulating Online Gambling and Protecting Players
Despite the defeat of the amendments, Alberta’s government continues to push for the regulation of online gambling. Minister Nally has made it clear that this move is about managing an already flourishing industry rather than expanding gambling.
“Let’s suppose this legislation doesn’t pass; that won’t stop online gambling from continuing to grow,” Nally stated, acknowledging the reality of unregulated gambling already taking place in the province.
The proposed regulatory framework draws on lessons from Ontario’s successful commercial market, which launched in 2022. The goal is not to increase gambling but to manage it in a way that brings more revenue under provincial control while protecting consumers.
A self-exclusion program, allowing individuals to voluntarily ban themselves from gambling activities, will be part of Alberta’s regulatory safeguards. This initiative, already in place for land-based casinos, would extend to online gambling platforms under the new regulations.
Consumer Protection and Future Safeguards
While the government remains committed to enhancing consumer protection through regulation, experts have called for additional safeguards. David Hodgins, a professor at the University of Calgary, has emphasized the need for measures like spending limits and behavior tracking tools to prevent harm to vulnerable individuals.
“The abundance of caution kind of approach, I think, is warranted,” Hodgins noted. He advocates for comprehensive measures to prevent financial and personal harm, which may arise even from well-intentioned gambling activities.
In addition to consumer protection, there are concerns from local charities about the potential impact of expanding online gambling. Michael Thompson, executive director of the Alberta Charitable Casino Operators, warned that Ontario’s model could significantly reduce revenue for charities. However, Nally countered these concerns by stating that offshore gambling already diverts money away from Alberta’s local charities and businesses, and the goal is to recapture that revenue in a safer and regulated environment.
The Path Ahead: Alberta’s iGaming Market and Ontario’s Influence
Alberta’s iGaming framewor is modeled after Ontario, which successfully launched its own commercial online gambling market in 2022. Ontario’s experience has shown that such regulation can be profitable, with over $35 billion in bets processed in the first year and more than 40 licensed operators. Alberta hopes to replicate Ontario’s success by attracting both local and international operators under its regulated system.
Despite uncertainty around whether offshore operators will register under Alberta’s new system, Minister Nally remains optimistic. “It’s a simple case of ‘If you build it, they will come,’ and we know this because they told us that,” he said, referencing Ontario’s success.
Alberta’s online gambling market is expected to grow significantly. With a young and tech-savvy population, combined with high per-capita spending on gambling, the province is poised to become a key player in Canada’s gambling landscape. If the bill passes, it could pave the way for a regulated market by late 2025 or early 2026.
Source:
Alberta lawmakers decide to leave RG up to regulators, Canadian Gaming Business, April 30, 2025.
