By Diana Guerrero, journalist at G&M News.
Alberta is set to become Canada’s second regulated competitive online gaming market after Ontario. What do you believe will differentiate Alberta’s model, and what are your expectations for its first years of operation?
Alberta’s model is being built as a service-oriented, commercially pragmatic framework, taking lessons from Ontario, but doing what’s right for Albertans. The focus is on social responsibility, not on growing the overall market, but channelizing illegal sites to legal and regulated sites. We focus on safeguarding Albertans investments, ensuring integrity, and supporting strong partnerships with our operators. In the first few years, we expect rapid operator and consumer uptake, strong competition, and steady channelization, with early success being defined by how quickly we establish a trusted, well-functioning marketplace. Our success will be measured by Albertans overall satisfaction.
As one of the key organizations involved in Alberta’s new framework, how does AIGC plan to contribute to maintaining market integrity, consumer protection, and responsible gaming standards from day one?
From day one, Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) has embedded integrity as one of our corporate values. Player protection and responsible gambling are directly into operator agreements, onboarding, and ongoing oversight. With Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis’ (AGLC) centralized self-exclusion available day 1, strong, well-defined standards relating to advertising policies, and our partnership with the Responsible Gambling Council, we have a core foundation in place, it is safe, trusted, and sustainable for Albertans.
Many operators already active in Ontario are expected to evaluate opportunities in Alberta. What factors do you believe will be most important in attracting high-quality operators and creating a competitive market environment?
Alberta is the economic engine of Canada. We will attract high-quality operators by regulatory clarity, commercial viability, and speed to market. Alberta’s advantage is clear, consistent rules, and collaboration, allowing operators to invest with confidence. A competitive market will come from strong participation and a regulatory playing field.
Looking ahead, what does success look like for Alberta’s regulated online gaming market three to five years from now, and what key metrics will AiGC be monitoring to assess its development?
Our number one key metric will be decided by Albertans and their overall satisfaction with the iGaming market. Key metrics include channelization rates, revenue returned to Albertans, player protection indicators, operator participation, and product innovation. The goal is to be a market that is commercially strong and socially responsible in equal measures.
Considering that Canada is a host nation for the World Cup and that the competition tends to drive an increase in sports betting activity during its course, how do you expect this momentum to resonate within the Canadian market in the second half of the year?
Major global events like the World Cup help drive engagement and create an opportunity to accelerate awareness of the regulated market. For Alberta, the priority is ensuring this activity occurs within a safe, regulated environment.