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A daily podcast delving into the biggest stories of the day throughout the sports betting and igaming sector.
Charlie Horner (00:02.065)
Alberta is now open for business. On the 13th of July, more than 20 websites went live offering sports betting and casino games in a regulated and taxed environment. It's a landmark moment for the North American gambling sector, and today we explore what the impact of the market might be, from economic impact to marketing and player protection. Welcome back to iGaming Daily, supported by Optimove, the creator of Positionless Marketing.
And the number one player engagement solution for sports betting and iGaming operators. I'm Charlie Horner, and today I'm joined by editor of Canadian Gaming Business Tom Nightingale. And I'm delighted to say that we're joined by Dan Keane, CEO of Alberta iGaming Corporation. Dan, it's fantastic to have you on the show. How's things?
Dan Keene (00:51.751)
Things are well, Charlie. Nice to be here with you today and obviously exciting times in Alberta, but great to be here.
Charlie Horner (00:58.399)
Fantastic. I appreciate you taking the time out in what must be a very busy period. And Tom, it's great to have you with us as well. How how are you doing?
Tom Nightingale (01:06.914)
Yeah, good. I feel like we're talking Alberta a lot on this podcast at the moment, which is great because it's pretty much the biggest thing going on in in Canadian gaming. I know the launch seemed to we'll talk more, but the launch seemed to go very smoothly and already we've got a sort of fiercely competitive market there that I think everybody's pleased to be a part of. So good to be talking about it again.
Charlie Horner (01:26.367)
Fantastic. Yeah, we we were talking about this on on launch day, Tom, that i y there's been a lot of hard work that's gone into this and we we often think about market launches as just this happened, it's quite exciting, but there's a lot of legwork that goes on to make these things happen. And Dan, I'm sure it's been keeping you very busy for a while. So when the market went live on July thirteenth, it must have been a quite a quite a relieving moment. How how was launch day in Edmonton?
Dan Keene (01:54.59)
Well, it was incr yeah, I mean, you're absolutely right, Charlie. It was incredibly exciting and and it's a culmination of a lot of work from a lot of folks, right? I mean, I joined that organization back in November on a on a secondment from our regulator, AGLC. But there'd been folks, Charlie and Tom, of course, that have been working on this for years, right? The the legislation, you know, Bill Forty eight and and work prior to that, that you know, from our Ministry Service Alberta and
And you know, Dale Nally's mandate that that had been been in the works for a number of years. So certainly the team that we have at Alberta Eye Gaming Corporation and and our regulator AGLC have have done a lot of work in the last seven months, but I'd I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about all the work that people did in the in the years preceding. And it's not just the folks with Alberta government, right? It's operators and our industry and and and folks that have been on this journey for a long time.
Charlie Horner (02:49.535)
Absolutely. Tom, you you were also there for the launch in Edmonton. How how did you find the the event?
Tom Nightingale (02:57.452)
Yeah, I mean it was good really. It was really good to be be able to be there on the ground. and see it all sort of come together. 'Cause as Dan said, you know, like I've been covering Canadian Gaming since about twenty twenty. And certainly as far back as about twenty twenty three, there were operators, people like Points Bet who were
very aware of the potential that a province like Alberta would offer if they ever did get to the point where things came off the ground. And then I know, like to Dan's point, like you know, I've had several chats with Dan and with Minister Dale Nally since 2024, I think, when the process really started gathering a little bit of momentum. Obviously, there were some delays in the launch, but I think it's fair to say from what I've heard at least those were what we might call collaborative delays, where I think, you know, industry had said, you know, we let's take a little bit.
more time to get this right, you know. and so seeing it all to come together and seeing it launch, obviously only the second province in Canada to to offer a sort of commercial, competitive, regulated market. it's a huge milestone. And I think you could feel in the room in Edmonton really, I don't think it's ex it's an exaggeration to say that, yeah. I think a a lot of people felt that a lot of hard work had paid off.
Charlie Horner (04:10.311)
It's it's always nice to see that hard work does pay off. yeah, certainly certainly nice to see. Dan, you mentioned earlier that you you were previously at Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis and now you're at Alberta Rye Gaming Corporation. maybe for unacquainted listeners or those who aren't aware of the intricacies of of what's happening in Alberta, what what's the difference between those two entities and and the different roles that they play within this market?
Dan Keene (04:39.473)
Yeah, it's a great question, Charlie. So you're right. I I I'd been with AGLC in a variety of roles for thirteen years, most recently vice president of gaming. and AGLC, they're the regulator. They're the regulator of the the iGaming market in Alberta. So they set the rules and and do the enforcement. AIGC is the conduct and manage entity, right? So we're really the commercial arm, if you will, of of the iGaming market in Alberta. So really two distinct roles, Charlie and Tom and
You know, I think important and it's it's it's quite similar to our friends in Ontario, who, by the way, really did help set the benchmark, obviously, for for what we've done in Alberta. You know, I we've done what we've done for Alberta in an Alberta way, of course, but we're always thankful to to what Ontario has has provided us. But to answer the question, Charlie, you know, similar to Ontario with the regulator AGCO and the conduct and manage entity I go.
Alberta, you've got AGLC, which is the regulator, and AIGC is the conduct and manage entity.
Charlie Horner (05:41.155)
And yeah, conduct and manage entities are very important term in Canadian Canadian gaming. so it's something that that listeners should be should be aware of. Now, Dan, I think in in a way you can sort of manipulate the numbers or or if you if you wanted a good press line you could say that Alberta's launch is the biggest launch in North American online gambling history with
the launch of sports betting and online casino and and so many operators going live so quickly. You know, th th there's the some big American operators l going live, there's European operators, land based operators going online. I think there's even First Nation based operators going live as well. perhaps you could just talk about how big it is to to have so many operators go live so quickly and and to to have that sort of healthy competition from day one.
Dan Keene (06:36.851)
Well, I think it it does a couple of things, Charlie. Fir first, I would say it shows that the market has been here. The market has been here for decades, right? we do have new entrants to Alberta and we have operators that have been in the Alberta market operating in the grave for a period of time that have made the right decision, quite frankly, to join the regulated space. And and I think it shows also that Alberta is a strong economic engine in Canada, which it is, right? We have very strong
business friendly environment where we have strong interprovincial migration, we have a strong economy. and and I think that's that's all been part of it. But to but to your point, Charlie, it's important in the sense that we have a competitive, safe and and vibrant, if you will, I gaming space that's that adheres to the policies and standards that we have in place. But to me it it really it really illustrates, if you will, or or confirms the the
the notion or belief that the market has been here for decades, Charlie, and and it really, you know, I think helps to if you will, put a fine point on on that. And and now our job is to to continue to channelise, to continue to to enforce the standards and regulations and make sure that we have a commercially viable market that Albertans can trust going forward.
Charlie Horner (07:57.897)
Yeah, definitely and we'll we'll talk a little bit more about the channelization and things like that a little bit later. But Tom, I'll bring you in now. from an editorial perspective, you know, you you cover all of North America as well. You write about the US as well. how how how big is it for for you do you think that that Alberta has so much competition so early?
Tom Nightingale (08:21.676)
Yeah, I mean I think it's this is something that
Ontario and Dan's already mentioned like the work that Alberta and Ontario did together. Like I'll Ontario kind of set the template here. Things are a bit different. Like Alberta's made a a a real effort to bring in land based casinos and First Nations operators from day one and you know make sure that they're competing with, you know, FanJuel and DraftKings and the splashy names of of like US online gambling. But I think like a big thing for that Alberta laid the blueprint for and that sorry, Ontario laid the blueprint for and Alberta is following is that, you know, in the when you look at the US, a
Most of the time when a new market opens, it's one vertical or the other, right? It's normally online sports betting. There are only seven online casino markets in the US compared to 30, I don't know, 33, 34 online sports betting markets. so the opportunity for operators and suppliers and other stakeholders, you know, to jump into a market that has a good blueprint to follow, has a pretty firm regulatory framework, but that allows you to offer, you know, two highly sought-after vertical.
at once in online sports buttons and online casino. and compete with, you know, what did we say, 22 websites went live. I think ultimately like AGLC has I think registered more than fifty operator websites a a as of the time of recording. these are numbers you don't really see either when a US market opens, right? Normally you get maybe a maximum of sort of eight or ten licenses, but often it's fewer than that.
So in this way the Canadian model is a bit different to the US model, and I think Ontario has really laid down markers that show that, you know, if you approach it in the right way, it works, and it can work to the benefit of, you know, all competitors involved, whether it's a market leading brand or it's a niche, smaller Canadian operator, or it's, you know, in Alberta a land-based casino extending into online gaming for the first time. The opportunity is really great and really rare, I think, which is quite, you know, why this has been such a highly anticipated market launch.
Charlie Horner (10:24.815)
It has been really highly anticipated and I think we with good reason and and you've laid out those those reasons really eloquently, Tom. but but Dana, I I just wanted to to come back to you and and ask how how big this market launch is f for the province, I guess from an from an eco economic perspective. You know, how how big do you think this can be for for the province in terms of generating that economic activity?
Dan Keene (10:52.039)
Well, I think it can be very big. and again I spoke to it a little bit and and Tom touched on it as well, Charlie. But you know, Alberta is an economic engine in Canada. you know, we might be a third of the population of Ontario, but we we punch above our weight class, if you will, in terms of our economic delivery and and disposable income, our demographics you know, or askew a little bit younger. But the reality is,
you know, and minister said at the press conference, we're our forecast calls for seventy six million to be generated in the first year, to to our government, to general revenue fund to support services that Albertans rely on every day. And and that's important. And and you know, obviously I I believe in that. I think we'll achieve that, but you know, we're we're not the the the mandate of our market is is around channelization, right? It's it's not to grow eye gaming.
Will I iGaming grow? I'm I'm sure that iGaming will grow. But the reality is, is the the mandate is to channelize a market that's already been here for decades, Charlie. And that's really what we're focused on is right making sure that we do it right. We provide the protections and the services that'll continue to make sure this market is built on integrity. But but certainly the economic side of it you know, can't be ignored, and and that's a part of why we're moving forward.
Charlie Horner (12:16.393)
Certainly. Well, Tom, Dan, we'll take a quick break and then we'll come back and we'll talk a little bit more about the channelization and and the sort of the strategy behind that.
Charlie Horner (12:27.367)
Welcome back to iGaming Daily. Dan, we know that there was a there was a market before the market, if if you will. We know that Play Alberta was there before. We know that there was a a a sort of a a strong, prevalent grey market. So people in in Alberta were already gambling. so you you mentioned in the first half of the show that this is about channelising. and I believe there's a goal of around seventy percent.
channelization rate in in year one. How did you d decide on that rate as as the target and what's the goal to get there?
Dan Keene (13:06.151)
Yeah, so our our goal in the first two years, Charlie, is to get to 75%. And really that was built on some research that we did. Obviously, we saw the the great channelization that Ontario was able to achieve. And so so it was, it was, it wasn't you know, a statistic, if you will, that we sort of pulled out of nowhere. It was something that was built on research and and you know is something that we feel is achievable.
It's it's obviously like I say, and I would just point to the number of operators and the number of sites that are already here. We're we're seeing a great amount of adoption, if you will, of the marketplace standards that have been put in place. So really there's no more to it than that, Charlie. We just feel that that number's achievable and we think we can overachieve on that number. I as a matter of fact, I we will going forward based on what I've seen. And you know, some of the success that that play Alberta had as well played into
what we felt that that channelization rate could be. And so yeah, we're excited to deliver on that for for our ministry and for our government.
Charlie Horner (14:12.741)
If I remember rightly, Ontario had a very strong channelization rate from from year one straight away. So I I yeah, I guess that Alberta has good reason to be confident in terms of in terms of that. Tom, I just wanted to throw over to you now because I believe that there was the you know, th we say that there's twenty two operators or there's twenty two sites that are live now, but there's plenty more to come. I do you think that's a a case of
Some operators just aren't quite ready yet.
Tom Nightingale (14:47.81)
Yeah, I mean I think that, you know, as much as we say that
The industry has been waiting for this launch for a long time. Obviously and it's not surprising to see that like well, I don't find it surprising to see that most of the big name US brands, big name Ontario market brands, FanJuel, DraftKings, BetM Gm, Bet365, all these kind of guys. I'm not surprised that these guys were ready to go immediately. but I mean there's different factors at play, right? Obviously there's a there's I know that I know that AGLC and the guys at Dan and everybody at AI G C have laid out some pretty, you know
I think a clear, s relatively straightforward pathway to launching in the regulated market, but obviously there are there are boxes that need to be ticked and there are requirements that need to be met. what I also find interesting, which maybe Dan can comment on, is the fact that, you know, Alberta's approach from the start was that, you know, July 13th, once that was established as the launch date, that was set as the date for
registrations to be complete and requirements to be met. But I believe I'm right in saying that there is a sort of three month grace period, if you will, in certain special cases where if July 13th like was gonna come too soon for an operator who in good faith wants to launch in the regulated market, they have until October thirteenth, I believe, to meet all requirements and to go live. And I mean we've we've spoken a little bit already about there is a there's a large pre-existing grey market in Alberta. I think that some operators who were active
that market before the regulated launch will transition to the regulated market, but perhaps just need a little bit more time to do so. I don't know what that process looks like on the back end. Perhaps Dan can shed a bit more light on that. But certainly there are, you know, there are a few factors to I think to why certain operators might not have jumped in on day one with both feet.
Charlie Horner (16:38.407)
Yeah, Dan, would you like to to sort of put some colour on that for us is
Dan Keene (16:43.559)
Yeah, it's a great comment, Tom, and it's true. that's exactly correct. Three months post July thirteenth. So October thirteenth, all sites that want to operate within Alberta need to do so by October thirteenth. and I can tell you that there will be strict measures in place regarding enforcement of sites that are not part of our regulated market as of October thirteenth. But but gentlemen, I would say that the the the biggest thing as to why
some were perhaps not ready, quite simply are the standards that are that are in place. And it's not that the standards are meant to be restrictive, but they're they're comprehensive, right? They're comprehensive, whether it's SOC two reporting that's required, whether it's the privacy legislation that's a little bit different in Alberta, of course the importance of anti-money laundering and and and we all know how critically important that is. And a credit to AGLC with the focus on the launch of a central
self-exclusion, right? The the centralized self-exclusion tool that's available from day one. And all of those pieces, along with our policies and our standards and requirements for internet gaming, that must be met. so they're not they're not meant to be restrictive, but they're incredibly important because we know the importance of the advertising standards and all these other pieces that I mentioned that Albertans are demanding, right? If you if you see that AIGC logo, it means you're playing on a site that's gone through this.
rigorous process, if you will, of testing and ensuring that there's compliance and that you can play with confidence relative to your privacy, relative to your, your funding of your wallet and all these other very important elements and have the appropriate social responsibility tools, Charlie. So so it's just a matter of you know, not to speak for all the organizations or companies, but of course, there's there's no saying that you can get it 90% right, right? You have to get it 100% right before you can launch an
Charlie Horner (18:41.523)
Yeah, certainly. And I I I think it's it goes back to what Tom says in terms of if they're gonna launch in good faith. And I think having that cooling off period or the the three month grace is is you know showing good faith on on on both sides. so that's it's good to see that sort of regulator operator collaboration if you like if you like. but whenever a a new market opens, Dan, there are always concerns about, you know, consumer protections and
And something that is often a sticking point is advertising and marketing. we we see it here in the UK. There's lots of campaigns about stopping advertising in in for for sports better than online casino brands, and we're seeing that in North America as well. Minister Nally, though, appears to disagree with the notion that there will be a huge proliferation of ads. I think that's primarily due to the fact that there was a a prevalent grey market.
Just curious to get your thoughts on the sort of marketing side of the industry in Alberta and and do you expect to see a big spike in ads now that the market is live?
Dan Keene (19:52.148)
Well, we're already seeing more. And and and I think we will see more, but I do align with Minister Nally's thoughts that you know, with Ontario going first, much of the advertising was national advertising that all Canadians have been introduced to already, whether they like them or not. Right. And so a portion, if you will, of that advertising that has taken place has already been seen by Albertans.
because of the national spillover. So it doesn't mean that there won't be more advertising in Alberta, because that would be, I think, you know, incorrect to to state that there will be more, you know, operators are going to compete. But I would do want to remind listeners, Charlie and Tom, like there are comprehensive advertising standards that are in place, right? Whether it's age gating tools required for social media, whether it's requirements not to advertise in a place that could be deemed to be accessible to youth.
Whether it's the standards around celebrities only promoting social responsibility, advertising, and et cetera, et cetera. And those advertising standards are comprehensive. And we will be and we are monitoring very closely, and we have full ability to if you will, conduct an audit into advertising practices that iGaming operators will have. So, you know, they're the I think it's important for listeners to understand that those standards already exist, right? And they're and they are comprehensive. But
But to to get directly to your question, Charlie, will advertising increase? I think I think it's fair to say, yeah, we're already seeing an increase in advertising. and, you know, in in time, I think you'll you'll see some of that abate. But, you know, as the market opens and and you pointed to it, Charlie, it's not uncommon for for there to be more advertising at the start than there is in six months or a year or two years. And so, you know, and and I would just encourage operators, right, to to
to and we've talked to them about this, right? Is is be good stewards in the Alberta market, and and be good good business partners relative to your advertising practices. But we'll be keeping a watch on things, Charlie, for sure.
Tom Nightingale (21:56.407)
I think to to Dan's point about the the the the like, you know, there there's bound to be more advertising at first, you know. When new product or a new vertical or whatever launches pretty much anything, like of course you get that flurry of advertising that's just natural. and entirely fair, right? If you got if you've got twenty two operator sites, why is it about six fifteen or sixteen different operator companies then? If you've got that many live on day one, then of course they're gonna want to, you know, advertise and compete and that sort of stuff. There's
Charlie Horner (21:56.671)
Certainly.
Dan Keene (22:17.662)
That's right. Yeah.
Tom Nightingale (22:26.32)
Pretty fairly I think fairly compelling evidence presented by the Canadian Gaming Association and a c a couple of partners. Think TV, I think, the the TV sort of watchdog or TV advertising firm, about the fact that the number you know, the advertising volume in Ontario did drop off kind of year by year after that province launched in twenty twenty-two. but I think it's good to, you know, I agree with Dan, you know, I think
It would be naive to assume or to claim that there will not be an increase in in in gambling advertisements, at least in the short term in Alberta. but yeah, I I would I would also, you know, the standards, I think Dan mentioned a few of them. I think a big, big one for me, again, like I say, I cover the US as well. Big one for me, taken from Ontario, is that not being able to advertise sign-up bonuses and and inducements and offers like that in the market, because frankly, in the US market at least.
I think that's a little bit of a a scourge, really, on the US gambling industry. You get all of this kind of like bet five, get $150 in bonus bets, and you're inundated with all this sort of stuff because any you know, everybody's trying to doing it to try and draw people in. I think that was a good line that was drawn in Ontario that Alberta's copied over. But it's just it's it's I find it difficult the advertising debate, because operators should be allowed to advertise. And
where do you sort of draw the line on what is too much? It's undoubted if you watch a sporting event, you do see a lot of gambling advertisements because gambling and sports viewing are so intertwined now, really, these days.
So I think a Alberta's drawn a good line, but I would just say from an editorial perspective as somebody who covers the Canadian gaming industry on a daily basis, this advertising conversation is not going away anytime soon, I don't think. Obviously there's federal legislation waiting for when Parliament reconvenes in in the autumn. So I guess we'll see what happens on a federal level, right?
Charlie Horner (24:20.799)
Yeah, I can't if I if I may. Sure.
Dan Keene (24:21.14)
Yeah, and if I if I may, Charlie, and and sorry to just interject, when it comes to the advertising, one of the big things that AIGC is focused on is look for our AIGC logo, which is mandated to be there on the advertising. And you might say, well, you know, a a gray market site could could take your logo and put it on there. We are going to be putting sophisticated tools and we already are in place to monitor the use of our logo and protect our logo, if you will. So when you see that logo that's on an accredited site.
That of course is telling you when you see that advertising, well, there's standards in place, there's protections in place. Additionally, some of the revenues will go to support services that Albertans rely on. Will help to fill potholes and and build hospitals, right? And so that's why when you see that advertising, look look for that logo, that AIGC logo. And it's just it's an an important piece I think to add into the conversation.
Charlie Horner (25:14.705)
Yeah, certainly is, especially when advertising is such a a a controversial topic at times. It's it's good to know that the people who are doing it are doing it in a responsible way. Dan, an another another concern that some people have when new markets open up is the the impact that it would have on consumers from a player protection perspective. you know, when when new markets go go live, there are concerns that problem gambling rates might increase.
So with that, what what sort of research and education or or treatment services are the authorities sort of working on from a player protection perspective? And maybe could you put a bit of colour onto how the framework was designed with consumer protection in mind?
Dan Keene (26:00.008)
Yeah, and it's it's it's critical, Charlie and Tom. And I can tell you, of course, we're focused on many things at AIGC, but we are definitely on the front foot relative to this. And and I would say to any operators that are listening, and I've been, I think, consistent in this messaging, expect more on this file. And what I mean by that is we're gonna work collaboratively with industry to understand what what do we what do we need to do to be leaders in this space.
And do what's best for Albertans because we don't want to just do something for doing its sake. There's a number of things going on we know globally. We look to what's happening in Australia. We know what's gone on in the UK and we understand what OLG just did with some of their deposit limits. And many of these things are are really important and critical to business. But what's what's best for the health of Albertans? And I can tell you today, we're working very closely with Responsible Gambling Council, of course, with the accreditation that we have. We worked very closely with Agri, Alberta Gaming Research Institute.
understand about Albertans and and the prevalence of problem gaming, Charlie. But I would also say we have a partnership with 211. Right, 211 Alberta. You can reach out through the website through the through the text messaging to to reach out for help if you feel you need help and it's important and we have a lot of details on our website on abigaming.ca we encourage all Albertans to have a look I can tell you that it's a strong emphasis for our organization and and and there will be some enhancements and some some
some changes coming, if you will, even beyond what we have in place today as we as we learn more about the market and we react to to what's gonna be best for Albert and Strahley.
Charlie Horner (27:34.047)
Yeah, I think that's really important that things evolve as as the market develops and you learn from from what works and what doesn't. Tom, we s we see this covering global markets that there there are concerns about player protection and and safer gambling. what do you make of of that debate in terms of new markets contributing towards that and then some of the measures that that Alberta are rolling out?
Tom Nightingale (27:59.437)
Yeah, I mean if a a at a high level I would say from a sort of, you know, to editorialize, I would say that there is an inherent risk, right? When you okay, I understand completely about bringing over existing play on unregulated platforms that frankly most of them do not offer protections off their own back if they're not required to do so.
There is an inherent risk, I think, by l y sort of opening a commercial, competitive, regulated online gambling market that the the baseline level of online gambling activity is probably going to increase. Yes, there is a certain amount already happening in a in Alberta as there was in Ontario, but once you have
20, you know, regulated online casino options available to you. you know, I can't remember. There was some research, wasn't there, Dan? I think that like the a the average I think the average player in Ontario uses about four different online operators, something like that. I know I'm a casual better, I I have like six app apps on my phone, you know. So there's an inherent and you know, I gamble more than I did online in Ontario before it was regulated. so I think then it's incumbent upon everybody involved in opening them.
market like that to ensure that as the left the base level of online gambling activity perhaps increases, so does the base level of support and education and resources that are available. One thing that Alberta's done different to Ontario, which I think is
Is worth mentioning is you know the specific revenue share carve out for sort of social responsibility initiatives. There's a you know, sort of built into the tax rate, if you were. But I think before the ta the 20% tax rate is applied, there is a small percentage taken for a couple of things like supporting First Nations in Alberta and then also supporting sort of social responsibility stuff. So in that sense, I think Alberta has looked at what Ontario did maybe and thought there's a way we can iterate upon this to provide a more direct route.
Tom Nightingale (29:56.397)
to to these kind of supports. And then the last thing I would say is yeah, like the sort of this is iterative, right? Nobody I don't think anybody is saying Alberta has launched on July 13th, 2026. This is exactly what the market will look like on July 13th, 2030. Ontario is a good example again of that. Ontario laid out initial advertising standards and then after
a year or two decided actually athletes should only be able to I to advertise responsible gambling tools. They shouldn't be able to just say, hey look, this is X Sportsbook, come and play with us. so it's about I think these consultations carrying on and just frankly looking at what's working and what's maybe not working a year or two from now and and responding appropriately, right?
Charlie Horner (30:41.095)
Mm-hmm. Yeah, definitely. look, Dan, we really appreciate you taking the time out to to talk to us today. we we said at the top of the show that there's been a lot of work to get to this point. And I I'm sure you're you're aware or more aware than most that this is just the beginning. And there's plenty more work to come. I just wanted to ask, what what's next for you and for AIGC? What does success look like for the Albertan market and
And I guess what what can we expect to see from you guys going forward?
Dan Keene (31:15.292)
Yeah, first let me say, Charlie, thanks to you and Tom for the opportunity to speak to you today. And really, I would thank the industry as well, Kenning and Gaming Association, our operators, you know, lobbyists, people that have helped us, our legal counsel, so many along the way and on the journey. And of course, our Minister Dale Nally of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction for providing the vision and the mandate. Our regulator, AGLC. What lies ahead, Charlie? Well, you know, it's interesting because it's been a lot of work to get here and it's incredibly exciting. And I want to thank the AIGC staff.
for all of their commitment to to to putting together what they have today. But I can tell you now it's like, I think I was saying, you know, it's like you're building the airplane, now you gotta fly it. So it it really is about the operations, right? It's understanding are systems working the way they should from an AML side of things. Are we protecting Albertan's personal information the way we need to from privacy impact assessments? And are we are we protecting and safeguarding, which we will and we are.
Albertans funds and and making sure that we have the correct reporting and the correct auditing procedures in place. There's so many elements that go into it, Charlie, but it's really about Albertans. Albertans will judge us if if this market is being done with integrity and security. So ultimately, you know, we'll be doing surveys and focus groups to understand how Albertans feel about this because, you know, we can gladhand and look at ourselves and pat ourselves on the back as much as we want, but it's gonna be Albertans that decide whether or not
we've been successful in getting our messages out there for providing a a market that is safe, that's regulated, and is providing protections for Albertans that choose to participate in a responsible way, right? because gambling, you know, should be fun, which is why it's in our tagline. It's a form of entertainment. You know, I listen, I've been somebody that's been interested in gaming since my father first took me to the racetrack when I was 18. And you know, he was an avid horseman and and loved loved participating.
But I learned early on when he would take twenty dollars to the races on a Saturday, that that's all you needed. That's all you needed to have a good time and enjoy yourself. and so you know, that's what we encourage Albertans to do that for those that choose to participate. So it'll be Albertans that judges Charlie in terms of our integrity and our systems going forward.
Charlie Horner (33:23.305)
Fantastic. Well, we're very excited to see how the market plays out. We'll continue to monitor that on iGaming Daily and Canadian Gaming Business dot com. But for now, Dan Keane, CEO of AIGC, really appreciate you coming and on and joining us. So thank you very much. Tom, thanks thanks to you, Tom, as well, for for joining me and providing your insights. Thanks to Optimu for supporting the show as always, and to our listeners, thanks for tuning in to today's episode of iGaming Daily.
Dan Keene (33:38.345)
Thank you, Charlie.
Charlie Horner (33:50.631)
Come back tomorrow to keep up to date with all the latest global gambling news.