Alberta’s First Online Regulated Sportsbook is Here

Excellent news for punters in Alberta as the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission debuts the first online sports wagering program for punters in Alberta. The Crown has collaborated with NeoPollard Interactive alongside Pollard Banknote and Sporting solution to make this dream a reality.

Thanks to this partnership, local punters and sports betting fans will now have access to sports betting products on the province's only regulated website, PlayAlberta.ca. Individuals that register on the site can wager on a number of different games including NCAA football, NHL, MLB, NBA, as well as local and international soccer.

Punters in Alberta have been waiting eagerly for this new platform for decades and now that it is finally here, the government will want to do everything possible to make sure that it finds new and innovative ways to improve the platform while enhancing the customer experience. Now that punters can wager on sports, customers on the platforms have even more variety to enjoy.

The sports betting service on the PlayAlberta platform will not only provide punters with a much safer and regulated playing environment, but it will also provide cutting-edge experiences that punters may not have had access to before. This platform will make use of NeoSphere iLottery Technology, as well as the Advanced Betting Platform that has both been created by NeoPollard.

In particular, the Advanced Betting Platform that has been created by Sporting solutions is one of the most prominent sports betting providers in the world, which means that residents will only be getting the best of the best.  As the primary wagering partner for the Crown, both PlayAlberta and NeoPollard want to offer customers the best lottery casino and sports betting experience possible.

As the first online sportsbook for the province, there is a lot of pressure on PlayAlberata.ca to get this right, especially if the platform intends to dissuade locals from turning to unsafe betting sites. Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis will be responsible for making sure that everything stays above board and that residents are enjoying a safe and fully functional online gambling website.

With the NFL season commencing, the state is finally going to reap the benefits of a fully regulated sports betting system. Although this is the first time that Alberta is teaming up with NeoPollard to run a sports betting website, the pair have actually enjoyed a long-standing relationship for years. NeoPollard worked closely with AGLC in the past to debut the province's current digital lottery platform.

It was also Neopollard that provided Alberta with the framework needed for its instant games, slots, as well as its virtual and live dealer table games. By partnering up with NeoPollard, the province has given residents access to a unified iGaming experience whether they want to take part in sports wagering, online casino games, or iLottery.

How is Alberta dealing with its lottery pricing issues?

Now that Alberta has officially debuted its sports betting service to residents, Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis thus offering punters expanding betting options, it remains to be seen whether the provinces will build on their lottery services and maybe even invite commercial operators into the mix.

At present, PlayAlberta offers punters several options of single-game betting including on major American and European leagues. Like many sports betting websites, PlayAlberta also offers players loss, wager, and daily session limits aimed at helping problem gamblers control their spending online.

Because Play Alberta has a monopoly, experts have come forward to criticize the exorbitant odds that punters may be exposed to as a result. In areas where the lottery has remained a monopoly such as some US states like Washington DC and Montana, many lottery products are priced steeply, which has often led to issues in performance and consequent revenue shortfall. 

To prevent this from happening in Alberta, the authorities are working closely with stakeholders to potentially allow retail sportsbooks with online partners to enter the market. Even though Alberta has made great strides to expand the variety of its products, Alberta still has a lot of catching up to do.

Specifically, Ontario has made great strides in the new market with its sports betting product known as PROLINE+ which has successfully drawn more than $1 million in wagers since the sports betting service debuted on August 27th this year. According to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp, single-game bets have accounted for at least 74% of all wagers placed on the platform in the last month, which demonstrates that there is a huge demand for single event betting in the province and country as a whole.

In the coming months, even more provinces are expected to go live with their sports betting products. Specifically, British Colombia, Atlantic Lottery, as well as Loto-Quebec are expected to expand their sports betting products. All 3 will rely on products created and distributed by Scientific Games’ award-winning OpenSports platform.

Albertans also buying Lottery tickets in large numbers

It’s not just sports betting that’s enjoying a moment in Alberta. Not too long ago, authorities made it legal for locals to buy lottery tickets online for the first time, which has also sent the demand for iLotteries soaring. Creating this new digital mode of buying lotteries online has increased the convenience of its customers while also boosting the revenue generated by the province.

Although this has been a great move for Alberta, the decision to offer iLotteries to residents came a little later compared to other provinces. For example, BC, Ontario, Colombia, as well as the Atlantic provinces were already offering lottery selection online, including on national tournaments and events such as Lotto Max, as well as Lotto 6/49.

According to authorities, it took a little longer to make online lottery tickets available since the Play Alberta website is still relatively new. However, now that the province is collaborating with the Western Canada Lottery Corporation, Albertans are now enjoying a more seamless gambling experience that also combines legal sports betting for more variety.