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Alberta Gambling Bill Moves Forward Amid Growing Bets on Canadian Election

Ziv Chen

Last Updated: April 23, 2025 4:12 PM EDT • 1 min 35 sec read.

Alberta Gambling Bill Moves Forward Amid Growing Bets on Canadian Election
Pictured: Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid celebrates after a goal. Photo by Kirby Lee via Imagn Images.

Alberta lawmakers have passed the second reading of their online gambling bill, Bill 48, which would legalize online gambling in the Canadian province. 

Bill 48, also known as the iGaming Alberta Act, was introduced in March 2025 by Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally. The legislation is inspired by the model already in place in the Ontario sports betting and Ontario online casino markets, which were regulated in 2022. 

Since its legalization, iGaming in Ontario generated CA$2.2 billion during the 2023-2024 fiscal year, with Ontario residents also wagering around CA$63.3 billion. 

Currently, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) only regulates the online Alberta sports betting platform in the province, PlayAlberta. If the bill is passed, however, more operators can gain licenses to operate in the state, and a new Crown Corporation—the Alberta iGaming Corporation—will be established to monitor the market. 

The bill would also establish consumer protections, such as self-exclusion tools, and protect players from unregulated offshore operators, while keeping revenue generated from offshore gambling within the province. 

Alberta lawmakers now want to replicate the success seen in Ontario, with Nally saying in an interview, "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?"

Amendments that would clarify the bill’s regulatory structure, operator obligations, and financial framework are expected to be ironed out as the bill progresses. Nally added that Alberta’s iGaming market might see a debut as early as the end of 2025. 

Canadian election in full swing; Carney betting favorite

Election betting has become increasingly popular in recent years, with bettors throughout Canada using the top Canadian Election odds to guide their wagers.

Regarding Alberta, which is poised to regulate online gambling, allowing Albertans to place bets in a licensed market, according to recent odds posted on FanDuel Ontario, the Conservative Party is leading the race in the province, with odds of -4000 to win. FanDuel Ontario is one of the best political betting sites in Canada.

Outside of Alberta, bettors have Mark Carney leading the odds at -405 on Fanduel Ontario and -137 on Sports Interaction. According to bettors on FanDuel Ontario, the Liberal Party is also projected to win between 160 and 179 seats, with odds currently at -135. In comparison, the Conservative Party is projected to win 140 to 159 seats, with odds placing them at -125 at FanDuel Ontario.

Written By:
Ziv Chen
Ziv has over two decades of experience in the igaming and sports betting industry, having served in senior marketing and business development positions with both B2C and B2B companies, including Playtech and Microgaming. In 2019, Ziv decided to pursue his passion for writing and became a fulltime industry journalist, covering casino, sports, and gambling business news. He’s specialties include casino games and technology, US state gambling regulation, company performance, as well as gambling affiliates and marketing. As a Pitt graduate, Ziv is a diehard fan of all Pittsburgh sports teams, with the Steelers at the top of the list. In his free time, he enjoys reading crime fiction, biographies (mainly of sports personalities, but not only) and American history. Ziv’s Favorite quote: “We're going to pursue perfection, knowing full well we won't catch it, but we're going to relentlessly chase it," Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach.