After much anticipation and waiting, the Alberta government unveiled legislation this week that proposes a very Ontario-like system for authorizing and regulating private-sector sports betting and casino gambling websites.
Bill 48, the iGaming Alberta Act, sets out the foundation for a competitive market for online gambling in the Western Canadian province, with no limit on the number of operators but specific directions for who will do what.
That includes a new government agency, which will play a key role in making the new iGaming scheme legal.
So what exactly is Alberta proposing to do? If Bill 48 becomes law in its current form – and, given the governing United Conservative Party has a majority in the provincial parliament, that’s highly likely – Alberta will launch a competitive market for online sports betting and iGaming.
