Canada’s western province of Alberta which has suffered economically from the downturn in oil prices as well as the effects of the pandemic has finally decided to include online gambling as a revenue source.
With the expectation of launching a government operated online gambling offering in Alberta by mid 2021 the government agency responsible the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) has chosen NeoPollard Interactive to power the delayed online gambling platform. The agency recently announced that it had signed a deal with NeoPollard Interactive (NPi) to ‘build and maintain’ the province’s gambling platform. The arrangement is for a seven-year term with “an extension of up to 12 years possible.”
Lottery providers NPi is a joint venture between Pollard Banknote and NeoGames which has contracts with the US state lotteries of New Hampshire, Virginia, and Michigan. General Manager of NPi, Liz Siver commented that the firm was “honored” to have been selected by AGLC and expressed confidence that the online partnership “will help generate incremental revenues to benefit all Albertans.”
Alberta has been dithering over the introduction of online gambling for over five long years without any progress. The move is likely to come to the internet and be up and running by mid 2021 said the agency.
Canada has been slowly but surely committing to online gambling with most of the ten provinces already offering internet betting. British Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba, Ontario and the Atlantic provinces of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador have been involved in betting online for some time. Only Saskatchewan and the northern territories do not offer internet betting yet. The British Columbia Lottery Corporation’s PlayNow.com site has reported revenue of almost $150 million CND in the last year. It has been reported that the pandemic has created an increased interest in online gambling.
Once Alberta’s online site does come online it will offer “a suite of casino style games and live table games, full sports book, poker, bingo and lottery betting.”
