Province Expected To Follow Ontario Market

After Ontario’s successful regulation of online gaming, including poker, in 2022, the Canadian province of Alberta may be taking a similar track in the coming year.

Alberta provincial officials have been in discussions with various gaming entities regarding transitioning to a more open and regulated market.

The province now only officially offers the Play Alberta platform through the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis agency. However, Minister of Service and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally continues working with those in the province’s gaming industry, ultimately toward opening up the province to a more competitive environment with more operators.

“We are committed to working with our partners to finish developing and implementing the province’s online gaming strategy, with a focus on responsible gaming and provincial and Indigenous revenue generation,” Aboultaif told Poker Industry Pro. “We recognize that it is important that any expansion of Alberta’s igaming strategy is done in a way that makes sense for our unique gaming market and serves the interests of all Albertans.”

Since regulation, Ontario has seen numerous online gaming and poker operators as well as sportsbooks move into the market. Alberta is Canada’s fourth-largest province by population with 4.3 million people.

Play Alberta currently doesn’t offer online poker. Opening up the market would quickly give players in the province more options, and that could eventually include sharing liquidity with Ontario.

That may depend on the result of a case before the Ontario Court of Appeal, which has been tasked with deciding if shared liquidity violates Canadian law. A ruling could also allow provinces to offer play on the international online poker market.

A regulated market in Alberta could launch as soon as 2025. Since regulation, Ontario has become North America’s largest ringed-in poker market.

https://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/29193-alberta-could-launch-online-gaming-and-poker-by-next-year