A regulator will be appointed to facilitate market integrity and compliance
Alberta has proposed the iGaming Alberta Act (Bill 48) to regulate online gambling in the province.
The bill will birth the Alberta iGaming Corporation to manage the running of a private regulated market. Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis will be the regulator ensuring market integrity and compliance.
According to the Alberta government, the Act is the initial step in creating a regulated market that will have consumer protection safeguards and social responsibility tools.
“Our goal is not to create new gamblers, but to make existing online gambling safer. As the gaming industry continues to evolve globally and in Alberta, it is important that we modernize Alberta’s approach to gaming to protect the health and safety of Albertans, particularly our youth. The legislation we are introducing, if approved, would take the first steps towards this,” said Dale Nally, minister of service Alberta and red tape reduction, in a statement.
The government pointed out that at present, unregulated online gambling involving providers offering little to no player protection is widespread in the province. These providers have implemented limited to no social responsibility measures.
Through the iGaming Alberta Act, Albertans will be able to access a centralized self-exclusion system that will limit their gambling ability across venues and online platforms. The minimum age for online gambling participation will be set at 18 in further measures.
Moreover, the regulated market will enable the government to absorb gambling revenues currently being captured by unregulated operators. These revenues can then be reinvested into Alberta.
Adam Kates, theScore’s vice-president of compliance, lauded the government for its efforts to “bring an open and competitive regulated online gaming marketplace to Alberta.”
“We are fully supportive of a model that has proven to generate new revenue, protect consumers and shift wagering activity to the regulated market, and we’re confident that these benefits will be realized in Alberta,” Kates said.
PlayAlberta is the sole legal and regulated iGaming site in Alberta managed by AGLC. The government has also established the GameSense program to champion safe, responsible gaming.
