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Questions Abound Over Alberta's Lack of Online Gambling Regulation
By Shane Addinall Nov 07, 2023 IndustryIndustry experts are waiting expectantly for Alberta to follow in Ontario's footsteps by announcing regulated offshore gambling in the province. Despite the noteworthy revenue boost this would bring, the government refuses to provide a timeline.Online gambling in Canada mirrors the approach taken in other countries like Australia. It is legal for Canadian residents to sign up and gamble online with international offshore casinos, even if they do not hold a Canadian license. The only restrictions that are in place for unlicensed gambling sites are that they may not host their servers or have a business presence in Canada.
Each province in Canada, however, retains the right to determine what it deems to be legal or illegal gambling and implement the laws they feel best serve those definitions.
Ontario: Canada’s Shining Star
Ontario has proven to be one of the country's most successful online gambling jurisdictions. Since April 2022, it has licensed more than 70 online casinos and sports betting providers, allowing its residents access to some of the best gambling sites in the world.
With each of these entities being locally licensed, Ontarians can gamble online with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that should they have any concerns or feel they are being unfairly treated, they have legal recourse within their local government.
The latest report by iGaming Ontario, the local Ontario gambling regulator, showed that from July 1 through September 30, 2023, the industry generated $540 million in gaming revenue from $14.2 billion in wagers. This is an incredible success story for a region where, traditionally, that revenue would have flowed out of the country.
Alberta: All Noise, No Action
One of the other provinces that has been teasing the launch of its gambling act has been Alberta. While Alberta is a third the size of Ontario, it has shown an almost equitable annual growth rate and boasts a yearly GDP per capita of more than $80,000 compared to Ontario's $62,000. This means that the province holds the potential to generate meaningful income from regulated online gambling.
At present, the online regulated online gambling provided by the Albertan government is its state-run operation, PlayAlberta. Back in July, the Danielle Smith-led government had stated that it was “working with Indigenous partners to finish developing and implementing Alberta's online gaming strategy with a focus on responsible gaming and provincial and Indigenous revenue generation”.
Despite having had several months to draft a proposal, especially with Ontario's very successful blueprint readily available, Alberta Lt. Gov. Salma Lakhani did not mention regulated online gambling for the province in his recent speech.
When pressed by Gaming News Canada to provide an update on the promised iGaming initiative, the office replied that “no timelines have yet been established for finalising and implementing Alberta’s new online gaming strategy”, which is disappointing when you consider that Albertans spend approximately $380 million per year at unlicensed casinos and sports books.
Find the Best Canadian Casinos for 2023
If you are looking for the best legal online casinos to play in Canada, we recommend starting your online gambling adventure with these three casinos:
- PlayOJO Casino: Online since 2019, PlayOJO is a fan favourite with Canadian casino fans thanks to its customer service, leading banking options, and incredible game selection, which includes live dealer games and over 60 progressive jackpots.
- Slots Magic Casino: Founded in 2014 and owned by Skill On Net, the site boasts five international licenses, thousands of games, and a highly motivated support team.
- Alphabook Casino: Launched in 2022, the site offers players access to casino games, live dealer games, and sports betting via one central gaming account. It also accepts deposits and processes withdrawals using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
If you want to see our complete list of all the casinos that welcome Canadian players, visit our online casino page and set your regional filter to Canada with the Canadian dollar as your preferred currency. This will present you with 577 world-class casinos that you can join today!
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