Canadian Gaming Association President and CEO Paul Burns appeared on this week’s edition of the Gaming News Canada podcast to discuss the latest on the impending opening of Alberta’s regulated online gambling market.
Burns and the CGA have been in close contact with Alberta lawmakers, particularly Alberta Minister of Service and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally throughout the market launch process.
Over that time, Burns and Co. have repeatedly emphasized that patience is paramount.
[Alberta’s] enthusiasm and desire to move quickly has not abated, but I think they’ve also understood they need to take the time to get it right,” said Burns to Gaming News Canada‘s Steve McAllister. “And that’s what we’ve been encouraging them to do,”
Nally appears to be taking the CGA’s advice to heart.
The minister will appear on an industry round table at the G2E Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning. He will also be participating in a separate panel on Wednesday afternoon.
Burns on GNC podcast: Alberta launch unlikely before Christmas
Previous rumblings of a pre-Christmas launch already seemed overly ambitious.
And after Burns’ GNC appearance, we can say with a high degree of confidence that Alberta will not become North America’s newest iGaming jurisdiction until 2025.
“There were lots of rumours about being open before Christmas,” Burns said. “I don’t think that will be the case, as they look forward into ’25.”
There are obviously several factors that go into this, including meeting with industry stakeholders as Nally is doing in Vegas.
While that’s incredibly important, ensuring that the iGaming framework satisfies the specific needs of the province and its people is invaluable.
As Burns noted, Alberta’s government prioritizes mental health and addiction services. Therefore, the province must reflect that in its iGaming structure.
“The minister has talked a great deal in the last few weeks about their commitment to responsible gaming, and the government in Alberta has a very significant commitment to addiction and mental health,” said Burns.
“That’s one of their key priorities as a government. And I think they’re looking at it through that lens as they go forward.”
Burns has advised Alberta lawmakers in two key areas
With no concrete timeline for launch, Alberta lawmakers are now privy to a more thorough evaluation period. With that, comes a golden opportunity to effectively address potential framework-related issues ahead of time.
Doing so will be pivotal for Alberta, as the province’s iGaming model is said to be modelled after Ontario’s.
To help get them out on the right foot, Burns has advised Nally on two crucial points:
1. Better integration of land-based casino operators: One of the main concerns with regulated online gambling is that it will neutralize retail casino revenues. Burns specifically highlighted this as a core issue for Alberta to nail down early. This is in addition to a list of core suggestions PlayCanada outlined last month for building a strong, responsible and sustainable sector.
2. Determine what ‘conduct and manage’ means: Burns’ second point stems from the recent court case between iGaming Ontario and The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke. The latter argued that the Ontario model is illegal because iGO delegates conduct and manage duties to private operators. While the Ontario Supreme Court ruled in favour of iGO, avoiding another situation like this is in everyone’s best interest.
“Are there things we can learn from that to better streamline compliance on the conduct and manage side of the equation and find ways to improve upon what has been started in Ontario? We think there is,” Burns told McAllister.
“We’d like them [Alberta] to take the time to talk to industry and understand that. And maybe find ways we can streamline and provide an equally comprehensive oversight with potentially less compliance-related costs involved.”
Whenever Alberta launches its regulated market, all that matters is that it’s done right.
“When you get down to it, they’re still moving at a good rate and the commitment has not wavered at all,” said Burns. “They’re moving forward. It just takes a little more time.”