Gambling Weekly News Summary in Canada – 2026/02/14
Québec Online Gaming Coalition Calls for iGaming Regulation
The Québec Online Gaming Coalition, which includes operators such as DraftKings, Rush Street Interactive, and Flutter, has urged the Québec Government to establish rules to regulate an estimated 2,000 websites for players in the province.
It follows guidance from both researchers and public health officials, with the Gaming Coalition stating that the province is putting vulnerable people at risk and depriving itself of over $300 million in tax revenue by failing to regulate the industry.
It also stated that by focusing solely on physical gaming offerings, such as video lottery terminals, bingo nights, and Lotto-Québec’s Salon de jeux, the province was missing the growing online gaming industry.
The Coalition recommended establishing an independent regulatory body, Québec establishing its own industry standards, introducing a licensing system for private companies, and allocating a portion of revenue to support communities and prevention activities.
BetRivers Launches Pre-Registration in Alberta Ahead of iGaming Debut
Online gaming operator BetRivers, owned by operator Rush Street Interactive, has launched its pre-registration page in Alberta ahead of the province’s iGaming market launch and is continuing its partnership with Canadian broadcaster CBC.
By offering pre-registration now, BetRivers positions itself to launch as soon as licensing becomes available in the province, which could happen as soon as the first half of 2026.
The launch of its pre-registration coincides with BetRivers’ sponsorship of CBC/Radio-Canada’s Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 broadcast as the sole sports betting partner.
“Canada continues to be a priority growth market for BetRivers, and Alberta represents an exciting next step,” said Richard Schwartz, CEO at Rush Street Interactive. “With an office and large employee base in Toronto and a growing presence across the country, we’ve been building and investing in Canada for years. We’ve seen strong momentum in Ontario since launching in 2022, and through our continued partnership with CBC and our Olympic activations, we’re showing that we’re all-in on Canada for the long term.”
BetRivers first launched in Canada in 2022 through the Ontario market and has continued to grow through both its online casino and sportsbook, with its Alberta expansion extending its push into its Canadian footprint.
PointsBet Canada Suspended by AGCO for Jontay Porter Betting Scandal
After PointsBet Canada allegedly failed to report suspicious wagers, the Ontario gambling regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), has proposed a five-day ban for the operator.
It would be the first suspension issued by the operator since online sports betting was legalized in 2022 and follows allegations of insider trading made in 2024 regarding former report player Jontay Porter.
The regulator had requested that sportsbooks in the province report whether they had taken bets on players’ statistics, which PointsBet initially denied. Following an indictment by the US Justice Department that led to the arrest of several NBA players, PointsBet reversed its original denial.
Porter was found to have removed himself from a number of gaming events, claiming illness and injury, and had conspired with bettors to wager on him performing poorly in the game.
PointsBet’s parent company said it is considering appealing, stating that the failure to report the bets was unintentional.
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/
