Gambling Weekly News Summary in Canada – 2025/04/26
Alberta iGaming Act Moves Forward in Legislation
Alberta’s online gaming act, Bill 48, also known as the iGaming Alberta Act, has passed its second reading and will move forward to Alberta’s Committee of the Whole, where amendments will be added before proceeding to a third reading.
The bill, introduced by Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally, aims to legalize a regulated online gambling market in the province. In addition to creating a regulated market and a regulating body – the Alberta iGaming Corporation – consumer protection tools, such as a self-exclusion list, will be implemented to protect Albertans from the harms of unregulated gambling.
Bill 48 takes after Ontario’s already legalized iGaming market, which went live in 2022. Since then, Ontario has seen as much as $2.2 billion in revenue generated during the 2023-2024 financial year. Nally also disclosed that the legislation would prevent lost revenue going to offshore operators and curb illegal gambling in the province.
“The reality is that online gambling is alive and well in this province,” Nally said, per the Canadian Press. “Let’s suppose this legislation doesn’t pass; that won’t stop online gambling from continuing to grow.”
Playtech Partners with SkillOnNet to Expand Presence in Ontario
Online slot developer Playtech has announced that its subsidiary studio, Eyecon, will launch its gaming content in Ontario through a partnership with casino software provider SkillOnNet.
“The launch of our games in Ontario with SkillOnNet is an important milestone in our Group’s strategy to expand into new markets. SkillOnNet is a key operator in the Ontario market, and we are excited to be building on our already strong relationship with them as our exclusive partner for this launch,” said Paul Gielbert, Commercial Director at Eyecon.
Eyecon’s title slot games, such as Fluffy Favorites, Temple of Iris, and Shaman’s Dream, will be available to Ontario residents after having a successful run in European markets, including the United Kingdom regulated market, where Eyecon has operated for the past decade.
“We’re thrilled to extend our relationship with Playtech and introduce Eyecon’s portfolio of exciting and high-performing games to the Ontario market. We’re committed to providing the best and most comprehensive collection of content on our platforms in all the jurisdictions we operate in so that we can build the best UX possible,” added Jani Kontturi, Head of Games at SkillOnNet.
iGaming Ontario Records 31% Year-over-Year Increase in Third Year of Operation
The Ontario online gaming regulator, iGaming Ontario, has announced its revenue figures for its third year since the online gaming regulated market launched in 2022.
According to the posted figures, wagers increased by 31% year-over-year, with 2024-2025 recording CA$82.7 billion. Revenue also grew, with CA$3.2 billion being generated, a year-over-year increase of 32%.
“These results show Ontario is home to a truly dynamic igaming market with a strong roster of operators, and a world-class list of games available for players,” said Heidi Reinhart, Chair of the Board of Directors. “With 49 operators offering 84 gaming sites, Ontario’s regulated market continues to grow by offering a safer environment for Ontarians to play.”
Ontario’s iGaming market offers players thousands of games on 80 regulated sites. An iGaming Ontario and AGCO study revealed that 83.7% of Ontario residents choose to gamble on regulated sites. For Ontario’s first quarter, wagers and gaming revenue also rose year-over-year, generating CA$69.6 billion (34% increase) and CA$2.4 billion (36% increase), respectively.
Ziv (Steve) Chen
CEO at Major League Content
Ziv has been working in the iGaming industry for more than two decades, serving in senior roles in software developers like Playtech and Microgaming. He then followed his lifelong passion of writing and became a fulltime journalist, covering casinos, sports betting, legislation and other gambling topics and news with a specialty in North America.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziv-steve-chen-94b01b5/
