Northern Exposure: Latest On Alberta’s Online Gambling Expansion, Travis Kelce’s New Toronto-Based Horse Racing Saturday At Woodbine

Greg Warren
Written by: Greg Warren

Each week, Canada Sports Betting recaps all the top sports betting and iGaming news in Canada and highlights upcoming events.

Our top stories this week

Still in a holding pattern in Alberta

Sports bettors in Alberta are getting excited about the prospects of a regulated online gambling market in their province, but there still isn’t an official timeline for the launch of such a market in the province, according to a provincial government spokesperson.

However, the provincial government is conducting its due diligence on the matter and progress is being made towards a launch in the relatively near future.

“Earlier this summer, we met with traditional casino operators, racing entertainment centre operators, and First Nations in Alberta to hear their perspectives on the potential implications and opportunities presented by an expanded iGaming model in Alberta,” the spokesperson told Canada Sports Betting this week. “The discussions went well and we’re currently reviewing feedback, as well as examining best practices from other jurisdictions, including Ontario.”

Alberta’s government is aware of several key dates on the sports betting calendar, such as the CFL‘s Grey Cup (November), NFL‘s Super Bowl (Feb. 2025), and the NHL playoffs (April 2025). And lots of work is being done behind the scenes in an attempt to get the open market up and running in the province as quickly as possible.

At June’s Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally announced the province’s plan to essentially replicate Ontario‘s model for online gambling.

“We want a free and open market,” Nally said. “It’s going to look very similar to Ontario because we’re following their model. As far as I’m concerned, they built the roadmap and we’re working through that now. We’re probably going to massage it a little bit, so it’s got a little bit of a spin on Alberta, but really, it’s being inspired by the market in Ontario.”

Currently, the only legal sports betting and igaming option for Albertans is through AGLC’s PlayAlberta website. According to AGLC’s 2022-23 annual report, a total of $4.4 billion in bets were placed on PlayAlberta across all games in 2023, which was an increase of 22.2% compared to 2022. However, online sports betting only accounted for 3% of net sales, with iCasino and online lottery driving the majority of revenue. Many Albertans are wagering with dangerous grey market igaming operators, though, outside of the provincial lottery corporation’s online games.

Playing on a regulated gaming site ensures player deposits are protected, winnings are paid out, and personal information and data are secure. A regulated marketplace also ensures gameplay has fair and competitive odds and that there are responsible gambling resources to keep the experience fun.

Shawn Lemon’s gambling suspension upheld by arbitrator

An independent arbitrator has upheld the indefinite suspension of Montreal Alouettes defensive lineman Shawn Lemon for sports betting, the league announced on Wednesday.

The Alouettes issued a statement in response to the decision, stating the franchise has “always supported the league’s rules on gambling and will continue to do so” and that the “integrity of the league is of the utmost importance.”

An investigation found Lemon placed several sports wagers in 2021, including on his own team at the time, the Calgary Stampeders. Lemon appealed the initial ruling of his indefinite suspension, allowing him to suit up for four games for the Alouettes earlier this season while his case was pending. His appeal was heard in early August.

The arbitrator’s ruling essentially puts Lemon’s case right back where it started, with his CFL future unknown at this point. The 36-year-old announced his retirement from the CFL last April, but he then decided to unretire following the news of his suspension. At his age, it probably makes sense to hang up his cleats for a second time.

Lemon is a three-time Grey Cup champion and two-time All-Star.

Travis Kelce’s new horse racing in Toronto

I guess Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift aren’t grabbing enough headlines these days, despite the NFL regular season being just a week away.

Kelce has purchased a stake in an Ontario-based racing horse named “Swift Delivery” which is stabled at Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack. And Swift Delivery, a three-year-old gelding, will be in the field at this Saturday’s $125,000 Toronto Cup Stakes at Woodbine. Swift Delivery is the morning line favourite at +160 in that six-horse race.

“This is great for racing,” said Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse via a press release from Woodbine. “This isn’t just about Travis Kelce buying a horse – he bought a good horse.

“Believe it or not, my wife [Tina] and I are Swifties. We love Taylor Swift, and I am also a big Travis Kelce fan. Any time I can, I watch him play. My kids are excited too. My daughter, who is in Calgary, called me. My son, who is in Ottawa, called me too.”

bet365 has a partnership with Woodbine to offer legal online horse racing markets in Ontario. Horse bettors can also place their wagers with Woodbine’s two online sites – HPIbet and Dark Horse Bets – in addition to physically making bets at the various tracks located in the province.

The horse has two wins and two thirds from eight starts and Saturday will mark his first stakes race.

Swift is scheduled for a concert in November in Toronto, so it’s very possible a trip to the stable to meet Swift Delivery will also be on the itinerary.

Rivalry reports Q2 earnings

Toronto-based Rivalry reported its 2024 Q2 earnings this week.

Some of the highlights include:

  • Betting handle of $87.8 million.
  • Net revenue of $4.7 million was up 3% from Q1 2024 and up 22% YoY from Q2 2023.
  • Company achieves record net revenue margin of 62.5%, highlighting the continued impact of its margin enhancement efforts, driving more net revenue per dollar wagered.
  • Rivalry Token drives new global audience of crypto bettors and high-value players; Token customers exhibit twice the value of average non-crypto users.
  • Rivalry Token delivers $1.7 million in revenue subsequent to quarter-end, validating crypto strategy and product potential. Expected to remain a revenue stream for the business throughout the remainder of the third quarter and into the fourth quarter.
  • Crypto payment and technology development supporting strategy shift toward growing VIP player base; anticipated to deliver growth while maintaining current operational expense levels, driving profitability.

“At Rivalry we have narrowed our focus primarily to two areas that are showing the highest potential for growth in our history: crypto expansion led by tokenization, and VIP’s. Alongside these focused efforts, we are tightly managing working capital, rationalizing our teams, and cutting spend in areas that fall too far outside of these priorities,” said Co-Founder and CEO of Rivalry Steven Salz in a release. “Our efforts to improve margin are also driving results, achieving record margin levels for two consecutive quarters.”

“Last quarter marked a broader expansion into crypto with the pre-release of Rivalry Token and we have seen very motivating early results,” he continued. “Rivalry Token is uniquely positioned to serve a number of our near and long-term goals to expand our geographic footprint and acquire and retain high-value players, which we are beginning to see signals of. In just a few months, Rivalry Token has attracted new customers who are twice as valuable as our average user and marked the most successful reactivation campaign in the Company’s history. Behaviorally, we see that Rivalry Token users are more active and engaged, and we are confident in the opportunities being unlocked through this technology. We have an extensive roadmap ahead for Rivalry Token, including new social-based products and games to drive more connected wallets and create engagement loops for players that will extend our momentum in the crypto gambling segment.”

Rivalry, primarily known for its comprehensive esports betting options in addition to iCasino and sports betting markets, was one of the first operators to launch in Ontario’s regulated online gambling market back in April 2022.