Albertans will have their choice of online gambling websites come July 13, when the province expects to launch its private iGaming market.

This comes after Bill 46 — or the iGaming Alberta Act — was passed last year. The bill aims to provide regulatory oversight to online gambling sites through a new Crown authority called the Alberta iGaming Corporation.

An estimated 65 per cent of online gambling in Alberta happens on black market sites, said Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally. The small remainder is conducted through Alberta’s only regulated iGaming provider, the AGLC’s Play Alberta website, he added.

“We can stick our heads in the sand and pretend online gambling is not here,” Nally said Thursday on Edmonton AM. “Our approach is a more practical one. We are stepping in and putting player safety and responsibility first.”

WATCH | A look at students advocating for iGaming protections:

Why some Alberta students are pushing for stricter gambling guards

A team of graduate students at the University of Alberta is calling on the provincial government to strengthen protections ahead of the launch of a regulated online gambling market. Kshef Kamran and Sarah Toay discuss their research and the changes they want to see.

Despite the province’s push to improve safety, Kshef Kamran, a University of Alberta student, told Edmonton AM on Wednesday that the bill doesn’t provide enough protection against online gambling at a time when it should be considered a public health concern.

“Gambling isn’t just a game anymore. It isn’t just entertainment,” said Kamran, a researcher with Student Advocates for Public Health, a group of graduate student researchers lobbying for various public health causes.

“We’re seeing so much harm among young people, be it through suicide or depression and anxiety, financial instability and loss of savings, just to name a few.” 

Student Advocates for Public Health is also pushing for a ban on all advertising on iGaming sites to “help protect vulnerable populations,” and to lower the maximum betting limit from $20,000.

The bill, which aims to crack down on what Nally calls “repugnant” black market iGaming sites, establishes a betting limit of $20,000 in addition to advertising rules, which will limit certain public figures from appearing in gambling promotions.

“[Unregulated iGaming sites] don’t put player safety first,” he said. “We know they’re marketing toward young people, and so what we’re doing is we’re taking action now to put forward a safer option for Albertans.”

Learning from Ontario’s bill

Alberta’s Bill 48 is inspired by similar legislation from Ontario. It was the first province to adopt a regulated sports betting program in 2022, allowing multiple operators to provide gambling services.

After iGaming was regulated in Ontario, there was a rise in calls to help lines for problem gambling. Nally said he is concerned this could also happen in Alberta, but noted online gambling isn’t new. 

“The online … gambling problems didn’t just crop up on Day 1 of the legal regulated market because the black market existed in online gambling,” he said. “These problems always existed, but there wasn’t awareness. People didn’t know how to reach out for help.”

Alberta’s legislation differs from Ontario’s as it includes consumer protections like self-exclusion tools, said Nally. He also said the provincial government will dedicate one per cent of gross gaming revenue to player safety and social accountability initiatives.

Online gambling will never be completely safe, but Bill 24 is a step toward implementing some safeguards, said Nally. 

“We’re putting these regulations in Jell-O and not granite. If we need to change them, if we need to make some adjustments, we’re happy to do that,” he said. 

“Ultimately, we need these companies to be able to compete against the black market operators because the best way to get rid of the black market is to have a healthy, regulated legal market.”