Alberta is set to legalize private online gambling, following Ontario's lead. The move aims to regulate the industry, capture revenue, and offer consumer protections.
The Alberta government is poised to open the province's online gambling market to private companies , such as Bet365, aiming to regulate a larger portion of the industry and capture revenue currently flowing to unregulated platforms. Currently, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC)-run Play Alberta is the sole regulated online gambling website in Alberta .
However, players can still access so-called 'grey market' platforms, including offshore websites like Bet365 and Bodog, which aren't officially licensed by the province but are accessible to Alberta residents. \Proposed legislation, the iGaming Alberta Act, seeks to establish a new Crown corporation, the Alberta iGaming Corporation, to oversee the new market, with the AGLC responsible for regulation. The objective is to bring more players into a legal framework, implement consumer protections such as self-exclusion tools, and retain gambling revenue within the province instead of it escaping to unregulated or offshore sites, according to Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally. \Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, Minister Nally emphasized that the iGaming Alberta Act aims to channel unregulated online gambling into a structured and regulated market. The province has cited Ontario's model as inspiration, where private operators are also allowed in the online gambling market. Minister Nally stated that Albertans have expressed concerns about the lack of regulation and consumer protections in the current online gambling landscape, highlighting the need for measures to ensure safer gambling practices and prevent revenue leakage from the province. \In addition to the 'grey market,' Minister Nally addressed the 'black market,' which includes websites with no intention of becoming legal and often target individuals with gambling addiction, despite their expressed concerns. Minister Nally emphasized the importance of mitigating gambling-related risks while acknowledging that gambling itself carries inherent risks. The Ontario model has shown promising results, generating significant revenue for the government and creating new jobs. However, experts have raised concerns about the potential for increased gambling addiction and the need for robust consumer protections. \David Hodgins, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Calgary and research director with the Alberta Gaming Research Institute, urges for stronger safeguards in Alberta's online gambling framework. These include mandatory pre-commitment limits, requiring players to set spending caps before gambling, and universal self-exclusion tools that prevent access to all gambling platforms across all platforms. Hodgins emphasizes the importance of comprehensive monitoring and research to fully understand the long-term impacts of expanding online gambling
Alberta Online Gambling Regulation Private Companies Igaming Alberta Act Consumer Protections Revenue Generation Ontario Model Gambling Addiction Grey Market Black Market
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