Alberta Government May Introduce Online Gaming
After having made the decision to reject online gaming some time ago, the Alberta Government may introduce online gaming in the near future.
Alberta Looks at Online Gaming
The Chief Executive Officer of the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission, Bill Robinson, noted that there is simply too much money that is ending up in other coffers, rather than staying in the province, and that it is time to once again look into online gaming.
Robinson said: "We estimate that there's well over $100 million that leaves Alberta. Albertans are currently playing online gaming."
There has been some concern expressed by Gary Smith of the Alberta Gambling Research Institute, that more accessibility to online gambling can lead to increased gambling problems for residents in Alberta. He also noted that it was not a surprise that the provincial government was looking at ways to raise additional revenue since the current economic situation is not looking good.
Robinson, however, said that he feels that residents should have access to updated gaming environments. It should be noted that Albertans are already gambling online. The main question here would be whether the funds raised from the online gambling would stay in the province, or whether it would go to the owners of the overseas operators.
Robinson said: "We continue to strive to modernize and to look at new ways to provide the experience that Albertans want."
Future of Online Gambling in Alberta
At this time, according to Robinson, online players who live in Alberta are already spending around $120 million to $150 million on the grey market gaming sites that are easily available to Canadians. He explained that while it is not possible to predict exactly how much revenue would be made if Alberta offered legalised online gambling sites, however, he noted that similar projects in British Columbia and Manitoba are proving themselves to be successful.
At this time, the Alberta government received income from land-based casinos to the amount of $1.6 billion. Of that amount, $300 million is given to charities in the province.
In response to the potential aggravation of the existing gambling problems in Alberta, Robinson said that players would be encouraged to play within their means. He further noted: "We would put up a voluntary registration programme so if you wish to play, you would register in it, and that registration process would allow us to push out social responsibility messaging to clients."
