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Casino.ca experts share insights on the Alberta market
Hopefully, no one has been holding their breath since the announcement that Alberta would be launching a fully regulated commercial market back in 2024, because they might have expired by now! However, the provincial government introduced the required regulatory framework last month, and things are inching closer to launch. There is little doubt that when the market launches, it will shake up the province’s gambling scene, but what might it mean for the country as a whole? Experts at Casino.ca shared their predictions on how it might affect the market as a whole.
The current market and how players navigate differences
Casino.ca helps Canadians find the best online casinos. They have over 10 years of experience and claim to have reviewed more than 150 regulated casinos to find those that their users can trust. Their thorough review process checks all kinds of site features, from licenses to customer service and bonuses to payout times. Their team of independent reviewers is unbiased and knowledgeable, so if anyone is going to have a view, theirs is one to trust. They have a view of the whole country rather than just one individual province, which puts them in a pretty unique position.
Long time coming
Gaming Specialist Lara Wilson shared:
“The commercial regulated market seems to have been a long time coming to Alberta and has probably been more complicated than originally envisaged. While the politicians were keen to cash in on the way that Ontario did, the province had different dynamics and hurdles. Ontario went from a standing start when it launched its fully regulated commercial market, and the messaging to get players in from the grey market was straightforward – sort of, “Don’t play there; play here.”
“Messaging and communications in Alberta are going to be more challenging because the province already has a state-run gaming service offering online gambling games. While Alberta is keen to promote its newly licensed commercial sites, it needs to do so without cannibalizing its existing markets. Fortunately, players searching for Alberta online casinos will be able to continue to rely on our expert advice to help them find what they are looking for.”
Canadian inherent love of gambling
Wilson expanded on what the market expansion could mean:
“Canadians love to gamble; it seems to be hard-wired into the country’s cultural identity, with around six out of ten Canadians spending money on a flutter. Four provinces account for roughly 86% of the population – Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta. Alberta and Ontario combined have around 20 million people, and that will be an attractive market for online operators. Gambling brings in significant revenues to the provincial coffers, and it seems unlikely that the other provinces will not be watching to see what happens next.”
Is Quebec burying its head in the sand?
“Quebec is still clinging to its government-run monopoly. At last year’s Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto, it was revealed that Quebec is losing almost CAD$2 billion each year to unregulated gaming sites. Only 27% of its gambling population does so on Loto-Québec’s site. However, many residents have strong affiliations with Quebec’s crown corporations and view them as tools to maintain Quebecois identity (even if they do not use the site themselves).”
“Quebec could be an interesting battleground as the pro-gambling lobby is pushing to tear down the current system. I don’t think this market is going to be easy to crack, but let’s keep watching. A coalition of DraftKings, Flutter, and Betway is hoping to make the province’s online gaming approach align with other successful markets. While much of the argument for not allowing commercial operators has relied on the potential to undermine the government-run services, Alberta, operating a successful parallel scheme, could blow that logic out of the water.”
What about British Columbia?
Lara Wilson had an interesting observation on British Columbia (the other one of the big four provinces):
“While British Columbia has not made any definitive moves or announcements, it has brought in an important piece of regulatory structure that could help regulate the market for casino apps. As of April 2026, a new body will come into being that will oversee all legal gambling in the province, including online casino games for real money.”
“The province’s minister of public safety and solicitor general, Nina Kriegar, released a statement in which she said that the ministry’s Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch would be transitioning to an independent gambling control officer. The “office” is reported to have a general manager who will be responsible for making and enforcing gambling and horse racing regulations. While the focus of the Gaming Control Act is primarily to deter money laundering and encourage responsible gambling, there is a commercial market opening.”
“One of the biggest arguments in favour of regulating gambling is that, as people are going to gamble, it is best that they do so safely. While policymakers might choose to be in denial, residents are at greater risk of gambling harms when they play in unregulated and offshore markets. While plenty of the grey-market operators operate from Mexico and are reputable and licensed, some are not. It can be almost impossible for Canadian players to work out which are genuine and which are scam set-ups before it is too late.”
British Columbia’s government says that the new regulations will better address previous weaknesses in dealing with online gambling and changing gaming technologies. The pragmatic approach in other jurisdictions has been to work with commercial operators to ensure that they operate to the highest possible standards. The act really could be the start of something more significant and is certainly a step in the right direction.
Benefits of a regulated market
Whatever way the rest of the country chooses to go, there are undoubtedly benefits of a regulated market, and more legislators are waking up to this.
The benefits include:
- Safeguards and social responsibility measures, such as centralized self-exclusion tools that allow players to manage their gambling activities.
- Strict advertising, promotion, and marketing rules to prevent online platforms from targeting high-risk/vulnerable people or minors.
- Retention of gaming revenues to help fund general provincial services and gambling support programs.
Ontario and Alberta believe their regulated markets are a win-win scenario. Whether the rest of the country wakes up to this reality remains to be seen.
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