Industry spirits soared when Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally announced plans to regulate online gambling in the province during June’s Canadian Gaming Summit. However, now Nally’s office admits that, while enthusiasm for regulation remains, the timeline for actually opening up the province is growing longer.
According to SBC Americas’ sister site Canadian Gaming Business, Nally’s office conceded that things are taking more time than planned. A 2024 rollout is out of the cards and even 2025 is starting to look iffy.
Alberta ministry concedes they need more time on igaming framework
“As the gaming industry continues to evolve globally and in Alberta, we want to ensure a conducive business environment, while protecting the health and safety of Albertans, particularly our youth. We want to get our iGaming strategy right by ensuring fairness and transparency to everyone,” Press Secretary Brandon Aboultaif told the publication.
“Industry stakeholders have told us that we need to continue our conversations so they can provide more input on the model. We are doing just that. Further engagements will also help to identify opportunities to align the strategy with our red tape reduction priorities. While we aim to put the strategy forward in 2025, we will continue to provide updates as this work unfolds.”
During his summer address, Nally never specifically offered a timeline but spoke bullishly about the market. His team spent the summer consulting with First Nations groups and continues to solicit feedback on a potential model from those within the gaming industry.
Nally said the model will mirror what Ontario put forth but did say over the summer that the Justice Minister, not Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), would oversee regulation.
CGA leader calls Alberta’s lack of progress a “pause”
Canadian Gaming Association President and CEO Paul Burns referred to the lack of action on Alberta gaming expansion as “a pause” and indicated there is still an appetite to regulate the province but that the priority is on taking the time to get the framework right.
“I think there was a growing concern about just how they were going to get everything done in the time required,” Burns told Candian Gaming Business. “I think the government is evaluating its timelines and making sure they can meet all of the objectives they’re setting out for themselves, and they’re giving themselves a few more months to be able to do the work.”
Both Burns and Nally will be speaking this week at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas on the Canadian market.
