Alberta looking to transition grey market operators to regulated sector by mid-July
The AGLC also reports that of 55 operators expressing interest, only nine have paid the required fees. A report says offshore gaming is going strong, and a call to steer betting tax money to sport.
Dates are getting firmed up for the launch of Alberta’s open online gambling market, and, apparently, there are approximately 50 operators interested in being part of the province’s regulated sector.
So says Geoff Zochodne in a story for Covers published on Monday evening.
On March 17, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) put out an iGaming Guidance Document specifically referring to a July 13 deadline for “any operator, or their associated entities, who is or has been operating an unregulated lottery scheme in Alberta” that is interested in being part of the regulated market. By that date, those grey-market operators must have submitted a completed licensing application, paid all fees and ceased any unregulated lottery scheme activities.
Zochodne reported that, “All existing bets with unregulated operators must be settled or cancelled before the new market goes live, meaning some futures wagers could be voided.”
He also wrote that, “More than 50 operators have shown interest in Alberta’s regulated market, but only a small number have completed the required payments so far.”
As the guidance document said, “Despite strong interest from over 55 operator sites, only nine sites have paid the required fees to date. Regulatory Services is closely monitoring advertising and overall market activity; continued non-compliance may materially impact future suitability determinations.”
Clearly, putting a date out there is partly a strategy to get operators moving.
By the way, July 13 is a very interesting date. It falls the day after the end of this year’s Calgary Stampede and six days before the championship game at the FIFA World Cup. Obviously, Alberta would love to go live at that time, particularly with this men’s World Cup being held in North America.
But does that mean Alberta will launch on July 13? Not exactly. That’s a preferred date. At worst, it appears the province wants to go live before the NFL season starts in September.
As further evidence, the AGLC has given itself three months’ worth of wiggle room to that cutoff date, to be applied to operators, on a case-by-case basis, until no later than Oct. 13. So, that also seems like an indication of a launch before then to draw as many grey market operators over to the regulated sector.
The biggest and best takeaway is that an Alberta launch is now on the fast track.
There was also some other Alberta-bound news to start the week.
Caesars Entertainment became the latest well-known gaming brand to announce that pre-registration is available for Alberta residents in advance of market opening.
“Opening pre‑registration is an important first step that allows players to prepare for launch while we finalize our plans to bring our full trifecta of platforms online in Alberta,” said Eric Hession, president of Caesars Digital. “We welcome the province’s continued progress toward a regulated online market and appreciate the Alberta iGaming Corporation’s work to support operators through this process.”
The presenting sponsor of this august newsletter – and the Gaming News Canada Show – let it be known Monday it has been granted a licence to do business in Alberta by the province’s gaming, liquor and cannabis governing body (AGLC).
“Bede is delighted to receive conditional regulatory approval to work in Alberta, putting us in a great position to support operators with their upcoming expansions in the province,” said company CEO Colin Cole-Johnson. “We have a longstanding investment in the Canadian iGaming industry, and I’m eager for the exciting opportunities ahead in this new market.
“As one of the first applicants to be formally recognized by the regulator, Bede offers a truly localized service to its partners, and the fact that we’re SOC 2 certified will allow them to hit the ground running as soon as they’re ready to launch.”
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Offshore gambling (continues to) outperform Canada’s domestic industry: report
A new report from Blask - an AI-generated platform for iGaming and gambling market analytics - reveals what Canadian industry insiders have been saying for some time now. The true north strong and free is a global online gaming giant, ranking behind only the United States and the United Kingdom.
Blask’s data, released late last week, also paints a good news/bad news scenario for the Canadian igaming scene. For the glass-half-full gang, there’s an estimated $9.5 billion Competitive Earning Baseline for the Canadian igaming market for last year. The report also supports the open-regulated-market-work crowd, showing licensed operators capture 85% of CEB, far and away the highest regulated share of any province. In contrast, the provincial gaming lottery and corporations across the rest of the country only capture 24%.
As Kinectify exec and Canadian Gaming Association board member Derek Ramm stated in a LinkedIn post yesterday: The case for "#regulation in one simple graphic”:
We remind our loyal readers of a poll conducted at around this time last year by Ipsos on behalf of the Canadian Gaming Association revealed 60.4% of British Columbia participants wagered on unregulated websites only and 77% of respondents in Alberta using unregulated gaming sites.
From the Blask report:
Offshore operators account for approximately 59% of total market volume — and that share grew over the course of 2025. The regulatory divide between Ontario’s open market and the rest of Canada’s monopoly provinces continues to define the landscape.
These takeaways also caused us to raise a Spockian eyebrow:
The brand landscape is top‑heavy and offshore‑dominated. Stake and Roobet lead by CEB, both unregulated. The top five brands hold over 60% of total BAP. 63% of all brands serving Canadian players are offshore.
Rainbet and Betty are the breakout stories of 2025. Rainbet entered the top ranks across multiple provinces — Ontario, Québec , Alberta, British Columbia — emerging as a consistent growth presence nationwide. Betty, a casino‑only brand, posted the fastest YoY CEB growth in the Canadian top 10 and claimed the #1 spot in Ontario.
Stake (which an article published yesterday on The iGaming Europe website referred to it being the Canadian market leader), Roobet and Rainbet have crypto casinos, considered to be illegal in regulated provinces. Stake, which launched in Denmark last month after receiving a five-year licence, is in the process of getting licensed in Ontario and is expected to pursue a licence to do business in Alberta.
Future of Sport Commission report includes call for gaming industry support
The highly anticipated final report from the Heritage Canada-led Future of Sport Commission calling for the long, long, long, long (you get the point) overdue major renovation of our national sport system was released yesterday.
Before sitting down with a carton of Chapman’s Cold Brew Coffee ice cream (wink wink) to peruse the entire 952-page report, we did locate Chapter 15 which calls out other potential sources of funding for national sports organizations. They include accessing taxation revenues from sports betting across our home and native land along with funding from lotteries.
From the report:
Many participants noted the significant potential of sport-betting taxation revenues as a new source of funding if the revenues were to be dedicated to sport and physical activity. They suggested that such revenue could be specifically allocated to support sport and provide assistance to those who are suffering from the harms of sport betting. It could also support research and educational programs and improve the accessibility of sport programs.
In 2025, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee recommended to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance that the federal government use federal tax revenues from single-sport betting to invest in sport and stabilize the Canadian sport system. During our engagement activities many reiterated this suggestion.
The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees’ 2024 budget request noted that in 2023, the federal government raised, in Ontario alone, over $60 million in Goods and Services Tax revenue from sport betting. This figure was projected to grow substantially in the coming years. We were advised that provincial and territorial governments receive significant revenues from sport betting.
Several participants noted that other countries direct a portion of betting and gambling proceeds to sport. For example, Norway allocates 64% of its national gambling and sports betting proceeds to sport — around USD $400 million annually. These funds support various initiatives, including coach training, equipment upgrades, and facility development. In the United States, sports betting and gambling are state controlled. We were informed that New York uses sports betting to support youth sports.
Lotteries were also often mentioned as a possible dedicated revenue source for sport in Canada. Some participants suggested that a National Sport Lottery could be created. We were advised that Japan designates three quarters of its lottery sales profits toward diverse sports projects, with the Sports Promotion Lottery channelling USD $102 million annually into community sport. In the United States, we were informed that Colorado has allocated lottery proceeds to fund recreation spaces. Participants also noted that many sport organizations in Canada also receive funding from their province or territory’s lottery funds.
We heard a range of opinions about the value and ethics of lottery and sports betting revenues being dedicated to sport and physical activity. Some we spoke to had concerns about the addictive nature of lotteries and betting, and the financial and mental health impact of those activities. Given that governments have chosen to legalize gambling and lotteries, others felt that the tax proceeds derived from such activities could be dedicated to supporting healthy lifestyle programs such as sport and physical activity programming.
Given the findings of the aforementioned Blask report and the opportunity to garner additional tax revenues across the country from open, regulated markets beyond Ontario and (soon) Alberta, we have a suggestion for our elected officials and members of the Senate. Instead of wasting time and energy on unnecessary bills such as creating national standards for sports betting advertising, provide whatever support it legally is able to with the provinces - which are responsible for conducting and managing legal sports betting/igaming - and encourage the creation of more open markets and tax money which would be committed to battling gambling harm and other mental illnesses, and the sport system from the grassroots to the Olympium podium.
And that is our TED Talk. . .
Responsible Gambling Council to make some news
Forty-eight hours before next week’s fourth anniversary of the launch of an open and regulated sports betting and igaming market in Ontari-ari-ari-o, the Responsible Gambling Council is having its own launch of sorts.
The RGC, with a helping hand from Stan Cho, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, will make public on April 2 a new impact report on Ontario’s Responsible Internet Gambling Fund, “a government investment directing a portion of iGaming revenues toward proactive gambling harm prevention”. The council is also expected to lift the curtain on its latest public service announcement.
We expect Cho will be asked for an update from his announcement almost a year ago at the Canadian Gaming Summit this his office would be undertaking a review of the Ontario market. We wouldn’t be surprised if Cho keeps the proverbial powder dry on this one, and uses the SBC Summit Canada in May to deliver the results of that review.
The Parleh is operating in Alberta ahead of the province’s expected regulated market launch this summer, offering full service branded content production for operators and their partners.
Our focus is on delivering high-quality, scalable creative through a turnkey model that includes concepting, talent, on-location shoots, and post-production. By establishing production capabilities in Alberta now, we enable brands to develop and bank market-ready content in advance, ensuring they can move quickly and effectively once the province’s regulated industry is open for business.
For more information on The Parleh, email Kevin Kennedy at kevin@theparleh.com.
Oddin GG co-founder and executive Marek Suchar talks esports, wagering and integrity on the GNCS
The co-founder and managing director of partnerships for Oddin GG, Marek Suchar, was Steve McAllister’s guest on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show presented by Bede Gaming.
Suchar, who help found the Prague-based company in 2018, answered McAllister’s questions about the current state of esports and esports betting and the company’s growth and evolution. He also address Oddin’s interest in the North America gaming market, and specifically Canada.
You can listen to the podcast here or watch it on our YouTube channel:
People on the Move
Nevada slot machine manufacturing behemoth IGT announced Monday it is laying off 700 workers globally, which is about 10 percent of the company’s workforce.
Andrew Maclean, ex of Aristocrat Interactive and Pariplay, is the new Chief Executive Officer for Mainstream Gaming.
Michael Pedersen, iGaming NEXT co-founder and ex of Evolution and Pokerstars Casino, is appointed CEO at Swivel Gaming.
Thomas Plenborg is the new Chair of the Board at Better Collective.
Betty co-founder and Group grand poobah Justin Park joins the Board of Directors at 23 Broadway.
After almost six years, most recently as President, Endre Nessat is leaving Coolbet.
USA Esports appoint Jesse Bodony as President and CEO.
Charles Diao is named Chief Financial Officer at the Star Entertainment Group.
SUZOHAPP promotes Jim Kirney to Vice President and General Manager, North America.
Zachary Zarnoch, ex of Foxwoods Resort Casino, joins Caesars Entertainment as Senior VP, Corporate AML Compliance.
Liviu Popescu has a new title at PopOK Gaming: Global Managing Director, Retail & Online Strategic Business Development.
Ex-evoke guy Stuart Dallimore is the new Head of Trading at pawaTech.
Thomas Winter is appointed to the Board of Directors at Bragg Gaming.
IGT promotes Shondra DeLoach-Perea to Senior Vice President of Global Field Services.
Optimove elevates Rom Hirsh to Senior Director, Global Support and Operations.
Former Bragg Head of Communications Robert Simmons joins Legend as News Editor at Casino.org.
Catena Media promotes Ayal Pessar to Head of Strategic Partnerships and brings on board Jessica Farias as a Senior Social Media Coordinator.
Push Gaming appoints Marcieli Pelizzaro as Head of Latin America.
David Cauchi leaves LeoVegas Group as Group Head of Privacy.
Dennis Stranjak is appointed Head of Casino and Transformation Lead at PokerStars.
Paolo Diego Spadaro is named Country Manager of bet365’s Spain and Italy operations.
Chika Jordan Ewulu, ex of DraftKings, comes on board at Hard Rock Digital as Manager, Digital Marketing. Russell Cooper joins the casino team as a Senior Product Manager.
Alvaro Jose Mosquera has a new title at GR8Tech: Head of Business, LATAM.
Djordje Simpraga is now Director of Product & Trading at Entain.
Cameron Flood is appointed Head of Product for Yaspa’s operations in the UK and Europe.
QTech Games promote Jacopo Stefanetti to Head of Promotions.
Former FanDueler Helen Lopez is named Director of Product Marketing at Fanatics.
Kim Hoey departs the NBA Golden State Warriors to become the Senior Manager, Strategic Partnership Evaluation & Measurement at Hard Rock Digital.
Josh McLellan comes on board Bet99 as a Senior Technical Project Manager.
Hannah Fisher leaves PENN Interaction and joins BetMGM as a Customer Operations Platform Delivery Manager.
Kinectify hires Giang Truong as a Product Owner.
Games Global promotes Yasoda Veerasamy to Data Analyst L2.
Nick Faris, ex of theScore, joins The Globe and Mail as a Digital Editor.
Growth Leads brings on board Ilija Jaksic as SEO Content Specialist.
Nirmal Herath comes on board Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation as Information Technology Project Manager.
The promotions keep on happening at FanDuel. Justin Rasile is now Senior Operational Excellence Analyst, Sophie Sternberg is promoted to Acquisition Analytics Manager. Ross Elder is now Senior Product Design Manager.
Matt Aaron is appointed Chief Operating Officer for Special Olympics International.
After 20 years, John Griffin is walking away from the Toronto Blue Jays and his Director, Corporate Partnerships and Business Development position.
The GIST hires Candice Reggi as Brand Partnerships Director.
David Bearman departs his Sports Betting Editorial Consultant duties with FanDuel Sports Network.
John Griffin is named Vice President, Global Partnerships at Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corporation.
Jason Steensma leaves his Director of Game Entertainment position with Canucks Sports & Entertainment to join Snap Call Media as Executive Producer.
Laura Smith departs MLSE to join LG Electronics Canada as Marketing Manager.
Nikki Elliott-Gill leaves Cineplex to join the Toronto Tempo as Partnerships Manager.
The annual gathering of the Canadian gaming industry in our home and native land has a new name, but is bringing back the best and the brightest minds for the SBC Summit Canada.
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre is once again the site for the 2026 summit, to take place May 19-21. Register today using the PARLEHPARTNERVIP code and receive a 40% discount on your VIP pass.
Classified (Jobs) Information
On the Home Front
PointsBet Canada is in hiring mode for a Legal Counsel.
Hard Rock Digital has a remote opportunity for a Senior Product Manager – Game Studio.
Atlantic Lottery has an opportunity for a Program Manager, Healthy Play.
Ubisoft is searching for an Esports Community Management Developer to join its Montreal team.
Bonus.com is seeking Alberta-based Freelance Writers.
The Athletic is looking for a Sports Reporter to cover the Edmonton Oilers.
The FIFA World Cup team in Vancouver has need of a Venue Technology Manager.
Canucks Sports & Entertainment is on the hunt for a Social Media Manager.
The Coaching Association of Canada is seeking nominations for three positions on its Board of Directors.
Pickleball Canada has a call out to join its Board of Directors.
Finally, the proprietors of your Toronto Blue Jays are looking for six Game Day Owners.
South of the Border
Caesars has an opening in Jersey City for a Vice President, Brand Strategy and Marketing – Caesars Digital.
Hard Rock Digital is seeking a Team Lead – Real Time Analyst and an Analyst – Compliance.
DraftKings is looking for an Account Management Manager, Brand Partnerships and a Senior Manager, Casino Analytics.
Pavilion Payments has a plethora of job positions these days.
San Francisco-based GamesBeat is in the market for a Social Media, Community & Growth Associate.
USA Today is seeking a WNBA Senior Reporter.
Major League Soccer has an opportunity for a Senior Director, International Communications.
The National Hockey League is hiring a Social Media Analyst, a Senior Producer/Editor, Digital Content and a Royalty Analyst.
Hyundai has an opening in Fountain Valley, CA., for a Senior Group Manager, Sports Marketing & Partnerships.
Across the Ponds
DAZN is on the lookout for a Vice President, Marketing and for a Chief Editor.
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland is in the market for a Director of Consumer Protection, Education & Awareness, Research and Communications.
GamesBeat is searching for a Freelance Reporter.
SiS (Science in Sport) is looking for a Commercial Manager.
Legend has a six-month contract for a Senior Business Analyst.
Reading and Reflection
Casino.org scribe Mark Keast interviewed PointsBet Canada’s head of casino Brooke Hilton about the operator’s strategy for its igaming business in the new Alberta market.
The Canadian Gaming Association has added Ontario-licensed operator TonyBet to its membership group.
A new partnership between Strive Gaming and PlayStar Gaming is expected to include PlayStar’s business in Ontario and Alberta.
Sportico journalist Michael McMann was first to report yesterday a lawsuit filed by two Pennsylvania men against the NFL, Genius Sports, DraftKings, FanDuel and others that microbetting led to gambling addiction.
A 2025 study that was released this week by Gambling Public Policy Consulting shows that there’s indeed a bias in mainstream media coverage of the gaming industry. Jeff Edelstein provided his thoughts and layers for InGame.
American writer Maria Konnikova provided her own take at the beginning of the week to the much-discussed McKay Coppins article in The Atlantic.
In her piece, Konnikova mentions Nate Silver, who also posted Monday on the bipartisan “flavour” around sports betting.
Some reporting scoopage yesterday by Jill Dorson of InGame on bet365 ending its membership with the American Gaming Association, suggesting the operator is getting on the prediction market bandwagon.
CNN’s Nick Watt went under the hood to report on the ties that bind the NFL and sports betting.
An Ohio family spoke with a Columbus TV station on the eve of March Madness about their experience with problem gambling.
NCAA boss Charlie Baker appeared on CBS Mornings ahead of the beginning of March Madness, and was asked about student-athletes being harassed by social media morons.
Speaking of the NCAA, the governing body for U.S. college sports has taken legal action against DraftKings for trademark infringement around March Madness.
A Nevada senator did the op-ed thing taking aim at illegal gambling.
Better Collective is taking the leap into the prediction markets business.
Some reporting of the scooping sort last week from Ben Horney of Front Office Sports on MLB’s new partnership with Polymarket. MLB also signed an MOU with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that’s also PM related.
Stephanie Dhue and Garrett Downs of CNBC had the deets on a spitting match between Polymarket and a D.C. public relations firm.
Finally, if you’re the mood to (watch a) fight, you can watch a live stream Friday of the annual SBC Charity Boxing Championship in partnership with the Oliver’s Wish Foundation. Wishing everyone involved a successful and safe event.
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Please send your news releases and other announcements to steve@gamingnewscanada.ca. Also, if you’re interested in learning about our sponsorship and advertising opportunities in the newsletter and on our podcast, please email Steve McAllister at the aforementioned address.
