Alberta Gaming Agency Supports Single-Event Betting In Canada

Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC), the regulatory agency for gambling in the province of Alberta, has announced its full support for potential law changes that would allow single-event sports betting in Canada.

For now, Canada’s Criminal Code only allows people to wager on at least three games or more in an individual bet, which makes wagering on a single event or match illegal.

In November last year, a bill was introduced in the House of Commons, proposing a change in the Criminal Code. That modification will lead to legal betting on single sports matches or events.

The British Columbia Lottery Corporation, the state-owned gambling operator in the province, has already expressed its support for the legislation change. Moreover, most major sports leagues in the country are already backing single-event betting.

About the new law, Kandice Machado, president and chief executive of Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis, said: “This would present the ability to give legal age Albertans new and unique options on their favourite sporting events.

Players would be able to choose a game or proposition that gives them greater odds of a successful bet, picking between markets such as the game outcome, point spread or how many shots a player registers.”

Niaz Nejad, chief operating officer of Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis, pointed out that the new regulation would help combat illegal betting: “The Canadian Gaming Association estimates that CAD$3bn annually is gambled on unregulated offshore sports gambling websites. Those websites provide limited protections or means of responsible play, education or access to responsible gambling tools.

Play Alberta uses AGLC’s best-in-class GameSense responsible gambling program, which ”promotes healthy gambling behaviours and gives players access to valuable tools and resources.”

Meanwhile, the provincial government in Nova Scotia is finally considering online gambling in the province, allowing the Atlantic Lottery Corporation to open an online casino platform.

The company had already launched such a website for New Brunswick last summer and planned to expand into the other Atlantic provinces subject to approval from the respective governments.

The Atlantic Lottery Corporation pointed out that this move will help counteract the increasing popularity of gambling websites that are unrelated to the Atlantic provinces.

The company estimated that as much as $100 million leaves Atlantic Canada through offshore gambling websites, which are not regulated by the authorities in Canada.

Sources: “AGLC supports proposed changes to federal sports gambling legislation“. AGLC. February 10, 2021.

“Nova Scotia government clears way for online casino games“. CBC. February 9, 2021.