As Pure Casino Entertainment gears up to launch iGaming in Alberta, it has recruited sports betting technology specialist Kambi to power its online and retail sports betting throughout the province.
Kambi announced on Tuesday, July 7, that it has signed a multi-year omnichannel agreement with the First Nations-owned operator to supply its turnkey sportsbook to Pure, which is one of the largest casino operators in Alberta.
It means that when Pure Casino Entertainment expands from land-based gaming into iGaming in Alberta after that province’s market opens next week, it will be able to lean on one of the most prominent sports betting suppliers in the Canadian market.
“We are delighted to be growing our footprint in an important region for Kambi with a partner with the heritage and expertise of Pure Casino Entertainment,” said Kambi CEO Werner Becher. “They share our commitment to deep and engaging sports betting experiences, and we look forward to delivering on this partnership’s potential for their customers throughout Alberta.”
Pure Casino Entertainment has 7 Alberta casinos
Pure Casino Entertainment has been owned since December 2024 by Indigenous Gaming Partners, a gaming partnership established by five Nova Scotia-based First Nations and Sonco Gaming Inc., a casino management and investment company.
Pure already owns and operates four casinos in Alberta:
- Pure Casino Calgary
- Pure Casino Edmonton
- Pure Casino Lethbridge
- Pure Casino Yellowhead
Soon, it will run nearly double that number.
It is expanding its Alberta portfolio to seven casinos in total through a recently completed acquisition of Gamehost Inc., through which it will take ownership of:
- Deerfoot Inn & Casino in Calgary
- Great Northern Casino in Grande Prairie
- Rivers Casino and Entertainment Centre in Fort McMurray
- Two hotel properties in Grande Prairie
Pure and Kambi prep for Alberta iGaming
And, as Alberta gears up to launch regulated commercial iGaming on Monday, July 13, Pure Casino Entertainment is one of two brick-and-mortar casino operators in Alberta (along with River Cree Resort and Casino) to have registered to offer online casino and sports betting in the province’s upcoming market.
It will compete with around 30 operators and more than 50 licensed iGaming sites in what is shaping up to be one of the busiest and most competitive iGaming markets in North America.
The companies said that Pure Casino Entertainment selected Kambi due to the proven quality of its end-to-end sports betting solution, as well as the scale of its global network, advanced trading capabilities and player engagement features.
“As we prepared for the launch of Alberta’s regulated online market, we knew selecting a sports betting partner that could offer the right combination of product quality and regulatory certainty was paramount,” said Pure Casino Entertainment CEO Brad Belhouse. “Kambi’s proven track record made them the clear choice, and we are excited to capitalize on the sports betting opportunity online and across our Alberta casinos.”
Retail sportsbooks on the horizon in Alberta
As Belhouse alluded to, Pure also cited Kambi’s track record of success in retail, on-location sports betting as part of the supplier’s appeal as a partner.
That’s important because not only will Kambi power Pure’s planned province-wide online sports betting under the PureCasino.ca brand, it will also support the Indigenous-owned operator’s retail sports wagering ambitions across its existing four properties, with scope to expand to the Gamehost-acquired properties down the line.
Alberta’s iGaming regulations allow for brick-and-mortar casinos (as well as professional sports team venues) to open retail sportsbooks in partnership with technology providers and/or sportsbook operator brands. Kambi has an extensive portfolio of land-based sports betting across North America.
Kambi scales up Canadian presence
For Kambi, the deal with a well-positioned, expanding omnichannel operator in Alberta is the latest extension of what was already a significant reach across Canada for the European company.
The company supplies its sports betting technology to numerous Canadian land-based and iGaming operators, including:
- Bally Bet
- Great Canadian Entertainment’s retail sports betting in multiple provinces
- LeoVegas
- Mohegan’s two Niagara Falls brick-and-mortar casinos and PlayFallsview online
- Ontario Lottery and Gaming’s PROLINE omnichannel sportsbook
- Rush Street Interactive’s BetRivers site
In late January, OLG launched the new version of its PROLINE sportsbook online, on mobile, and in-person, after Kambi took over the existing contract from the Ontario governmental operator’s previous partner, La Française des Jeux’s FDJ Gaming Solutions.
Kambi will soon plant its footprint even deeper on the Canadian sports betting landscape.
Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) and British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) announced in late April that they selected the company from several applicants to power the shared PROLINE-branded omnichannel sportsbook that they intend to launch as a “national sports betting solution” in the not-too-distant future.
Given that ALC and BCLC each provide their respective platforms to other provinces, that will ultimately result in Kambi providing its turnkey sportsbook product in a total of nine of the 10 Canadian provinces:
- Alberta
- British Columbia (BCLC)
- Manitoba (via BCLC)
- New Brunswick (ALC)
- Newfoundland and Labrador (ALC)
- Nova Scotia (ALC)
- Ontario (OLG)
- Prince Edward Island (ALC)
- Saskatchewan (via BCLC)
In their shared Request for Proposal for the multi-province sportsbook, ALC and BCLC noted that Loto-Québec has the option to choose to join the national sports betting solution. Loto-Québec told Canadian Gaming Business that it may consider that opportunity in the future, which would make it 10 provinces out of 10 for Kambi.
