EDMONTON – Alberta’s government is looking to regulate private online gambling websites in a move it says will capture lost revenue and protect bettors.
If passed, new legislation tabled by Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally will see the province create a new Crown corporation to set rules for online casinos and safeguards for users.
Nally says exactly what those rules and safeguards will be still needs to be determined, but the government’s goal isn’t to make online gambling more accessible.
Instead, he says the goal is to reduce the Alberta market share held by offshore companies.
The government-owned Play Alberta website is currently the only regulated online gambling option available in the province, but sites run by offshore companies can still be accessed.
The government estimates Play Alberta captures just under half of the provincial online gambling market, with $5.3 billion in bets made on the site in the previous fiscal year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2025.
