March 27, 2025 556n59
Alberta's long-awaited foray into online gambling has taken a formal step with the introduction of Bill 48, the iGaming Alberta Act. The legislation establishes a new Crown corporation - tentatively called the Alberta iGaming Corporation - which will be responsible for developing and managing online lottery schemes on behalf of the provincial government. At its core, the bill is enabling in nature: it provides the legal structure for Alberta to enter the regulated iGaming space but stops short of committing to a specific model.
In doing so, the province has granted itself maximum flexibility. The bill empowers the government to either build a homegrown iGaming market from the ground up or to work collaboratively with other provinces. And while much of the early discussion has focused on whether Alberta might try to replicate Ontario's competitive model - home to more than 40 ed operators and considered by many to be the benchmark for regulated online gambling in Canada - there is another option: doing a deal with Ontario itself.
Buried in the legal language of the Act is a key provision that could reshape Alberta's digital gambling ambitions. Under Section 2(2)(c), the new Alberta iGaming Corporation is expressly permitted, with the Minister's approval, to enter into agreements “on behalf of, or in conjunction with” other provincial or territorial governments. That language is significant. It offers a clear legal path for Alberta to partner with Ontario and tap into the infrastructure, regulatory framework, and operator base already in place under iGaming Ontario.
Such a partnership would offer Alberta several advantages. Ontario has already invested heavily in building a modern iGaming ecosystem. It includes a licensing and registration portal, compliance monitoring, responsible gaming infrastructure, and an universal self-exclusion tool that will apply across all operators. Replicating that kind of system would take years and significant resources - especially in a smaller market like Alberta.
With fewer residents and a proportionately smaller player base, Alberta would likely struggle to attract the same number of operators that Ontario has drawn in. That could lead to a more limited offering of Alberta betting sites & online casino brands for consumers and lower overall revenue for the province. By contrast, working with Ontario could allow Alberta residents to access a robust, competitive marketplace without the overhead of building an entire bureaucracy to it.
But going down that road would require more than just legal permission. Alberta would first need to enter formal discussions with iGaming Ontario and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) to determine how such a partnership might work in practice. That would likely involve negotiating how revenue generated from Alberta-based players is shared between the two provinces, ensuring Alberta retains its policy and oversight authority, and potentially developing a co-branded player experience to maintain provincial identity within a shared platform.
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Technical integrations - such as geolocation services, back-end reporting, and consumer protection tools - would also need to be coordinated. Alberta may choose to retain its own responsible gaming policies or harmonise them with Ontario's existing standards. Either approach would need to be reflected in t protocols between the agencies involved.
Importantly, Alberta would still have room to shape its market. The province could impose its own standards, consumer safeguards, and advertising rules while leaving core infrastructure to Ontario. This hybrid model - where Alberta retains policy control but leverages Ontario's operational system - could strike a balance between autonomy and efficiency.
Whether Alberta ultimately chooses to build its own platform or partner with another jurisdiction, the door is now open. Bill 48 doesn't prescribe a final destination. Instead, it gives the province the tools to chart its own path - and the option to take the road that may already be paved.
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