The Canadian province of Alberta will be delaying the launch of its regulated igaming market, according to the Press Secretary of the Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally.
Back in June at SBC’s Canadian Gaming Summit, Nally spoke about Alberta’s plans for its igaming market, specifically its desire to have an open-market model similar to that of Ontario.
Since then, speculation has grown over the potential launch date. However, speaking to Canadian Gaming Business, Nally’s Press Secretary Brandon Aboultaif confirmed that plans will still be laid out in 2025, but the office needs more time for discussions with stakeholders.
Aboultaif said: “As the gaming industry continues to evolve globally and in Alberta, we want to ensure a conducive business environment while protecting the health and safety of Albertans, particularly our youth. We want to get our igaming strategy right by ensuring fairness and transparency to everyone.
“Industry stakeholders have told us that we need to continue our conversations so they can provide more input on the model. We are doing just that. Further engagements will also help to identify opportunities to align the strategy with our red tape reduction priorities.
“While we aim to put the strategy forward in 2025, we will continue to provide updates as this work unfolds.”
Potential dates speculated for the Alberta igaming market launch included early next year and later in 2025 in time for the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup in November.
However, Paul Burns, CEO and President of the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), told Canadian Gaming Business that such a timeline was unrealistic given what was needed for the regulated market to go live.
Burns said: “I think there was a growing concern about just how they were going to get everything done in the time required. I think the government is evaluating its timelines and making sure they can meet all of the objectives they’re setting out for themselves, and they’re giving themselves a few more months to be able to do the work.”
While some consultations have been completed, such as with Alberta’s First Nations, many more stakeholder consultations still need to be finalised, in addition to cabinet-level decisions and approvals.
CGA recommended to Alberta decision-makers that it replicates parts of Ontario’s igaming model, but it also needs to include land-based operators in its discussions.
Decisions must be made on how the province’s igaming market will be managed. Nally said back in June that the provincial Justice Minister would be responsible for Alberta’s igaming market, not Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis.
Burns also told Canadian Gaming Business that Alberta also needs to examine the Ontario Superior Court lawsuit involving the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) as it featured “some of the best language and direction and case law on conduct and manage we’ve ever seen in terms of its plain language and its approach”.
The CGA CEO believes that Alberta can find a way to manage compliance correctly if it reviews the lawsuit, which ultimately ruled against the MCK challenge that the iGaming Ontario’s framework was “illegal and unconstitutional”.
Burns concluded: “The timeline has paused but I don’t believe there’s any less commitment to getting this done. I just think there’s a very good commitment to getting it right. There’s a lot of work to do. They recognise that, they understand that and they’re taking more time to get it right. That’s the encouraging part.”
Interwetten has moved to grow its available slot content through a new collaboration with Push Gaming.
The deal looks to further expand engagement for the operator as it taps into Push Gaming’s key games, including Cats of Olympuss and the martial arts epic Big Bam-Book, alongside long-standing titles such as Wild Swarm and Razor Shark.
Fiona Hickey, Chief Business Development Officer at Push Gaming, said: “Interwetten is a name synonymous with the highest quality offering for players worldwide and so naturally, this is an important partnership for Push that mirrors our long-term ambitions.
“We have a growing library of diverse titles that continues to get stronger with each release and this latest commercial development presents the perfect opportunity to invigorate that even further.”
Underlining the potential of the deal, the Cats of Olympuss title was awarded SlotBeats’ ‘Slot of the Week’ title when it was launched at the start of September.
The launch on the operator’s main platform will soon be followed by a rollout on all its current brands.
Mario Bilic, Director of Product Management CRM & Content at Interwetten Group, added: “Push Gaming’s content needs little introduction to slot enthusiasts. The quality and choice it delivers to our entertainment-hungry players is unrivalled and makes for the perfect addition to our casino lobbies.”
It comes following C-Level changes at Push Gaming, after the firm announced a reorganisation of its executives team with the appointment of Andy Bentley as Chief Operating Officer.
In addition, Co-Founder Winston Lee is becoming Co-CEO, a position he will share with current CEO James Marshall.
Bentley has previously worked with the igaming supplier on several strategic projects over the past six months. He also brings experience from working with brands such as Ladbrokes, Genting and the Gauselmann Group.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time consulting with the incredible team at Push so far and I’m honoured to have been offered the opportunity to take on such an exciting permanent role,” commented Bentley at the time of his appointment.
“Push Gaming is a brand that I have long admired and is a company with fantastic scope for future growth- so I’m thrilled to be a part of that mission. Exciting updates are currently being rolled out, and we have more big plans in store as we approach the end of the year and enter 2025.’’
