Alberta’s latest gambling legislation, Bill 48, also known as the iGaming Alberta Act, has passed its latest hurdle. The bill, previously introduced at the end of March by Alberta Service Member and Red Tape Reduction Minister, Dale Nally, has passed its second reading by Alberta lawmakers.
Key Insights
- Alberta’s iGaming bill passes latest hurdle as Dale Nally seeks 2025 launch
- The Conservative Party looks to be the favorite to maintain its seats in Alberta with -4000 odds on FanDuel
- Alberta would become Canada’s second province to legalize iGaming
However, it still has some way to go in regards to being brought into legislation as significant details remain unresolved, including proposed tax rates and licensing fees for operators.
The bill, which is modeled after Ontario’s already active iGaming market that went live in 2022, and would introduce a new Crown Corporation, the Alberta iGaming Corporation, is looking favored to pass in Alberta's predominantly Conservative government.
Nally believes that a regulated online gambling market will launch in the province as early as the end of 2025, disclosing in a previous interview that this regulated market is something Albertans want.
"Albertans have said to us, why don't you do the same here? Why don't you put in place safety measures? Why don't you stop the money from leaving the province, and keep some of it in Alberta?" Nally said.
Conservative Party leads in Alberta, but Carney the overall projected winner
Alberta’s regulated online gaming market comes at an interesting time for Canadian residents. The 45th Canadian Federal Election is right around the corner, with the election taking place on April 28.
So far, the Liberal Party appears to be leading in the Canadian election odds across various betting platforms, a surprise to some after Justin Trudeau's departure at the beginning of the year led to many bettors believing that the Conservative Party would come in clutch to win the upcoming election.
At the beginning of January, users on the prediction trading platform Kalshi had the leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, as the clear favorite to win the next election, yet after Carney’s election as the current Prime Minister, his odds dropped from 43% to 15% at the beginning of March.
Now, Carney is edging his way as the favorite among bettors. Canadian sportsbook Bet99 has the Liberal Party as the preferred winner of the Federal Election, with odds currently at -310. This is followed by the Conservative Party, which sits at odds of +220.
On FanDuel Canada, the Liberal Party leads the odds with -405, followed again by the Conservative Party at +255. The Liberal Party is also the majority favorite to win the popular vote among bettors on FanDuel Canada, leading the odds at -170.
However, the Conservative Party looks the favorite to maintain its seats in Alberta, with odds currently at -4000 on FanDuel. This is good news for Alberta’s iGaming bill after the Conservative Party seeks to progress the legislation.
