AGLC VP OF GAMING: Play Alberta is Digging in for the New Age

Posted on: September 28, 2024, 02:33h. 

Last updated on: September 28, 2024, 02:43h.

Mark Keast Read More

Expertise: Canadian Gaming, iGaming, Las Vegas, Sports Betting, NFL, Boxing, UFC.

One of the big igaming stories in Canada these days is a new open, competitive, regulated market soon to roll out in Alberta.

The expected “go-live” date is sometime in early 2025, but a senior level executive source for an independent igaming operator currently licensed and operating in Ontario said not to be surprised if the rollout happens before Christmas.

New regulated market expected in 2025

It’s exciting because Alberta promises to be one of the North America’s larger markets when it goes live. Several A-list operators have already indicated they will be there when that happens – subject to their due diligence, of course.

During an earnings call in August, NorthStar Gaming Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael Moskowitz said Alberta is a market they are keeping an eye on, referring to it as “very attractive”, pointing out that he expects the western province to take a similar approach in their rollout like Ontario did. Moskowitz said one of their objectives is to build the brand and customer base outside Ontario.

PointsBet Canada, DraftKings, and Betway are expected to be some of the major brands that will lead the charge into Alberta when that market opens.

Ontario-style igaming model likely for Alberta

Dale Nally, Minister of Service and Red Tape Reduction, Province of Alberta, who is quarterbacking the due diligence on behalf of the provincial government, has already indicated that Alberta’s new igaming model will look similar to the two-year-old igaming market in Ontario, which currently has 50 legal operators and 82 gaming websites up and running

The question now is how the market will look. What will the tax rate be (Ontario is at 20 per cent)? What will be the impact on First Nations in Alberta? How will they handle sports betting advertising? What’s the market potential, and their plan to deal with the grey market?

What’s been interesting lately has been following what Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) has been doing, with their Play Alberta platform, the only place one can go presently to gamble legally in the Canadian province.

Illegal gaming sites active in Alberta

According to AGLC, with over 313,000 registered player accounts, Play Alberta, which launched in late 2020, has generated a projected $5.36 billion in total bets for 2023-24, and the site has captured over 45 per cent of Alberta’s overall igaming market (according to H2 Gambling Capital estimates, which the AGLC goes off of).

Alberta still has an active market of illegal igaming sites. This past year, Play Alberta generated $179 million in net sales (an increase of more than $35 million from 2021-22), contributing to the $1.5 billion in total gambling revenue that goes back to government coffers to support provincial programs and services.

AGLC has been active on the marketing and sponsorship front of late, clearly digging in and strengthening their competitive position with the market about to change in a big way.

AGLC extends sponsorship deal with NHL’s Oilers

It’s like the situation faced by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), the provincial crown corporation that had a gaming monopoly in Ontario before that market opened in April 2022. In the end, executives there will tell you that competition has made them stronger.

According to Ontario’s FY 2024-25 Q1 (April 1 to June 30) market performance report, released by iGaming Ontario, there was a continuation in wager and revenue increases, especially looking at year-over-year comparisons.

According to the report, total wagers of $18.4 billion in Q1 (does not include promotional wagers, or bonuses) was a 3.4 per cent increase over the last quarter and a 31 per cent increase over Q1 of 2023-24.

Total gaming revenue in Q1 was $726 million, a 5.2 per cent increase over Q4 and a 34 per cent year-over-year increase. Gaming revenue is the total cash wagers including rake fees, tournament fees and other fees from all operators minus player winnings from cash wagers, not taking into account operating costs or other liabilities.

Alberta: Highest inter-provincial migration

Those results don’t include OLG.

“[Alberta] is one of the most penetrated gaming jurisdictions in North America,” said Alon Segev, Managing Partner, Segev LLP, during a panel discussion at the Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto in June, referencing the 29 land-based casinos in the province, offering around 15,000 slot machines, 800 VLTs, 500 table games, plus online casinos, VLTs around the province and commercial lotteries, and the charitable gaming activity.

Alberta is also home to the highest inter-provincial migration numbers in Canada.

Most recently, AGLC and Play Alberta have announced extensions of their partnerships with the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC), a professional sports and entertainment company based in Calgary that operates the Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary Flames (NHL), Calgary Hitmen (WHL), Calgary Roughnecks (NLL), Calgary Stampeders (CFL) and Calgary Wranglers (AHL).

And earlier this month, looking to capitalize on the buzz around the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers, AGLC announced an extension of the sponsorship agreement between the Oilers and Play Alberta.

According to Dan Keene, Vice President, Gaming, AGLC, when regulated competition comes, AGLC and Play Alberta will be in a stronger competitive position.

Oilers betting at a “fever pitch”

“We understand [the market is going to open], and with Play Alberta, we don’t take it granted, but we certainly feel that we’re building a good product that’s Alberta’s product,” he told Casino.org. “It’ll give [bettors] an opportunity to have a choice, to continue to support Alberta by participating on Play Alberta and using the Game Sense tools. We’re doing our best to always improve our services.”

Keene says they will be launching a sportsbook app “in the coming weeks and months.”

“We’re continuing to enhance the offerings on the site, our customer service and, of course, our social responsibility tools are at the forefront. We’re going to continue to make advancements and improvements on the site and take feedback to make our product better as we go forward.”

The Oilers are doing them a huge solid – the team is the Stanley Cup favorite across many sportsbooks going into this new season.

The betting craze in Alberta around the team is already heating up on Play Alberta, Keene adds. The Oilers had a deep playoff run in last spring’s Cup final, losing in seven games to the Florida Panthers. What a great opportunity to show Alberta bettors what they do well.

“Betting already is at a fever pitch,” he adds. “There’s been a lot of activity so far. Alberta has one of the highest propensities around wagering and sports wagering activity in all the country. We know that just based on some of the average bets that we see in our land-based business. So, there is certainly a very healthy market. And Albertans are passionate about their sports.”