TORONTO — Hon. Dale Nally, Minister of Service and Red Tape Reduction for Alberta, emphasised that regulation was the only way forward for the province when it comes to iGaming, as he set out a clear player safety mission for progress.
Although he admitted that he would eradicate online gambling entirely if he could, Nally revealed that Alberta is coming into the conversation around iGaming with real momentum, and the framework is providing a strong foundation for the future.
“Player safety is going to be at the forefront of what we do. We want to make it as difficult as possible for anyone who is struggling with gambling,” emphasised Nally at SBC Summit Canada on Wednesday
Alberta focus on safety
Nally underpinned that opening the commercial market was never about money and was always focused on the safety of Albertans.
“We need that to be available to Albertans who do struggle with problematic gambling behaviors, because right now they’re struggling in silence.
“Our commitment is that we will have intensive outpatient therapy for any Albertan struggling with problematic gambling behaviors, and it will be paid for by the operators.”
From the opening day of the market, Alberta will include the strongest sustainable, safer gaming measures – not designed to slow industry down, but to support a sustainable and trustworthy market.
There will also be a strong focus on ensuring that marketing is responsible in the province and does not target minors or those most at risk of problem gambling.
Nally revealed that 1% of gross gaming revenue from operators will be donated to responsible gambling initiatives.
He added: “We’re also taking 2% off of gross gaming revenues, which is going to go to First Nations. And this was a decision that we made as a government in 2019.
“When we got elected, we said that we would draw a line in the sand, and we would be partners with First Nations on economic reconciliation, and that comes in many different formats.”
Best approach to what already is happening
He underpinned that Albertans are already gambling, with regulation the only way to ensure player safety. The approach will always be that of a light-touch regulation, but upon launch on July 13, there will be a significant toolbox that is offered to players to ensure safer gambling practices are as effective as possible.
Alberta’s entry into the market can be felt across the industry, according to Nally, who did not downplay the impact of the new player in the North American space. He also revealed that the appetite from operators is significant, with a wide spectrum of operators looking to tap into the Alberta space.
As regulations are rolled out for the growth of the regulated market, Nally was vigilant to the threat of the black market – but emphasised that they have learnt lessons from the cannabis sector.
He stated: “We know that there are responsible operators in the cannabis marketplace, and there’s also an illicit market, and the best way to deal with the illicit market in cannabis is to have a healthy, responsible, regulated legal market that is thriving.
“That’s going to be our same approach to online gambling. The best way to deal with the illicit market is to have a healthy, responsible legal market, and the more successful that market is, the harder it is going to be for the ‘repugnant’ black market operators to compete.”
Nally predicted “a dynamic tension” between the AiGC, the ALGC and operators in the province, which he stated was an indication of a strong market. Nonetheless, the measure of success will be around the feedback from Albertans, which he hopes will be positive and enjoyable.
The province has learnt significant lessons and studied the roadmap of other markets, not just Ontario, but also the UK, where the safer gambling tools will be mirrored in many ways as the market looks to open in the safest way possible.
Channelisation is also set to be a measure of success for Alberta gambling as the government looks to strangle the regulated market through a new regulatory framework, with him predicting that there will be around 70 applications for licenses as the market opens up.
Joe Streeter is editor of iGaming Expert at SlotBeats for SBC.
