Legal Online Gambling in Alberta

The Canadian province of Alberta…

… is located in the western part of the country, featuring an abundance of natural treasures. Residents of the region have a number of pastimes that bring them closer to nature and its riches, that it isn’t surprising that they would be equally enthusiastic about other forms of entertainment to balance it out.

It is Canada’s 4th is a province in size for the dense population. English and French are the official languages and is one of three prairie provinces.

With a little over 4 million residents, the province of Alberta features a range of establishments in its capital city Edmonton, and gambling ones are definitely among the top popular. This is ittedly the result of the previous influence, especially since the earliest gambling facilities in the province date as far back as in the 1920s.

Since then…

… residents and regulators alike have used the many different forms of gambling for charitable, fundraising and tax collection purposes, as well as providing a fun and legal way to the time.

Nowadays…

… the situation is much more regulated and moving forward, with both land-based gambling flourishing on the territory and its online counterpart gaining solid ground despite its only recent introduction.

Top 4 Canada: Alberta Casinos

Legal Land-based Gambling in Alberta

As mentioned earlier, the practice of live gambling across the territory of the Alberta province is deeply rooted in the culture of these people. Their earliest establishments came about in the form of horseracing and charitable endeavours, a model that has been greatly adopted over the years.

One thing which has changed…

… about legal land-based gambling in Alberta is the authoritative body behind the whole practice. Back in 2006, the local government abolished the Ministry of Gaming and established the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission, which now reports to the treasury board and the Ministry of Finance.

In regard to regulations…

… it is also important to mention a few of the most important legal acts in the province – the Gaming and Liquor Act, and the Criminal Code. Both are crucial to the proper organization and regulation of the industry, and quite indispensable at that, considering its rapid rise.

Nowadays, there are nearly 30 land-based casino and gambling establishments across the province. The Western Canada Lottery Commission (WCLC) holds the role of a monopoly over lotteries and sports bets, while licenses are awarded for casinos and racing centres. These two, however, are mandatory of a religious or charitable character, working towards a cause that will be met from the profits.

As it stands…

… these charitable establishments, as well as the WCLC gaming options, provide enough variety to keep enthusiasts interested. Alberta players are a drive away from regulated and renowned industry representatives, offering top slots gameplay, VLTs, sports and racing bets and more.

Top 4 Sportsbooks in Canada: Alberta

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Legal Online Gambling in Alberta

The situation with interactive gambling activities is slightly different…

… considering that there is not one onshore operator yet licensed to provide such services on the territory. And while the current status of the online gambling industry in AB isn’t alarming, it is still far from regulated.

Having said that…

… there is no explicit regulative that implies punitive actions directed at an online casino, poker players and the likes for placing a bet at such platforms. More so, the offshore platforms that make use of the grey area of online legal regulative in the province attempt to customize their services to the needs of the player pool. Hence, the gameplay has become available in the national currency CAD, with Canada-specific banking methods like InstaDebit accompanying international ones – AmEx.

Attempts at resolving this matter have appeared back in the past, starting with the March 2015 request issued towards operators interested in getting licensed onshore. While this attempt eventually fell through, the respective authorities attempted the same thing a few years later.

More specifically, in January 2019…

… the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission issued another formal Request for proposals by operators. Expectations are that the selection would be complete by mid-year, and interactive gambling enthusiasts from all over the province would be able to enjoy a full range of gaming content provided by a legitimate operator.

Top 20 Online Casinos in Alberta

1	Gamblezen Casino	100% up to €500 + 50 Free Spins	Read Review Play Players Accepted
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Top Online Casino Gameplay in Alberta

Still, while the situation is coming to a final resolve, players are left with the same solution as always – offshore regulated and situated operators. However, not all of these offer the same and privacy settings, or even a game collection. As a result, players are best off practising caution when choosing their suitable platform, and here are a few guidelines to help along the way:

• Security – The question of how secure a platform is, and how protected players’ data and funds are while stored on their servers has always been a matter of interest for everyone involved in the iGaming industry. While their local authority does not have power over operators currently servicing the province, individual players can check for the presence of other offshore regulators and licenses. Avoid spending time on rogue websites, regardless of their offering.
• Banking – Processing payments to and from the casino site needs to be an easy and speedy experience in order to result in player satisfaction. A crucial point in this regard is the selection of banking methods at their disposal – the top Canada-oriented operators include InstaDebit and Interac among more international payment processors (Skrill, Paysafecard), in order to personalize their service to some extent.
• Game Variety – The selection of games available at your chosen online casino platform definitely needs to fit your preferences in order to have some long-term fun. Some will focus on slots variety, while others try to balance it out with table games, bingo. Make sure to make the choice based on your preferences in order to get the most of it.
• Bonus Scheme – Paying attention to the bonuses featured at the casino site – their amount, and target player pool is crucial to determine if the casino is right for you or not. Just a sneak peek at the wagering requirements will give you some understanding of the operator and how player-oriented they are.
• Customer – While this is often overlooked as a consideration, the quality of the can be really important when you need it. It’s best to do a quick test-run of the options, as well as the response times of representatives, even if just to get an idea of what the real situation would be like.