Northern Exposure: Play Alberta Lands Another Exclusive Partnership With Competition Looming

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

RGC’s annual report

The Responsible Gambling Council, an independent non-profit organization based in Toronto that has been a leader in the prevention of problem gambling in Canada and globally for 40 years, has released its 2023-24 annual report.

Some of the highlights include:

  • As a result of the continued partnership with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) to operate the PSCs, staff in PlaySmart Centres reached over 512,896 players, patrons and gaming staff.
  • RG Check accredited 32 iGaming sites across 20 operators.
  • Game BRAiN, RGC’s interactive Youth Program, reached over 6,000 youth through 18 performances across Ontario.
  • RGC’s young adult prevention campaign, The Randomizer, drove over 3,600 meaningful interactions across 25 in-person events.
  • RGC launched an engaging new public service announcement aimed at debunking the gambling fallacy known as the ‘Illusion of Control’. The PSA drove over 253 million impressions across traditional and digital media.
  • RGC completed a multiphase project on the impact of gambling marketing and advertising. This important report will provide evidence-informed recommendations for regulators and operators.
  • The Ontario Government has deepened their commitment to promoting online gambling safety and consumer protection with a historic $9 million investment to the Responsible Internet Gambling Fund (RIGF) over three years.

Additionally, the RGC announced on LinkedIn that it has now kicked off a 30-campus tour across Ontario, visiting local colleges and universities to create awareness around gambling harms using The Randomizer, an interactive program designed to break down beliefs about the ‘illusion of control’ often associated with sports betting or gambling online. The Randomizer is a video game kiosk which incorporates a student’s smartphone as the game controller. Gameplay mimics a typical coin collection challenge which allows for an initial familiarity and knowledge of play, however, between each game level there is an unexpected change with the controller arrows swapping positions at randomized intervals.

The RGC has played a vital role in the creation and success of Ontario’s regulated online gambling market. Operators in the province must undergo the RG Check Accreditation process as part of the registration process and to help evaluate, monitor, and manage all aspects of their respective RG strategies.

Play Alberta expands partnership with CSEC

Just days after revamping its partnership with the NHL‘s Edmonton Oilers, the Crown corporation that oversees the liquor, gaming, and cannabis industries in Alberta secured its partnership with the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, which owns and operates five professional sports franchises: the Calgary Flames (NHL), Calgary Stampeders (CFL), Calgary Roughnecks (NLL), Calgary Wranglers (AHL), and the Calgary Hitmen (WHL).

The agreement makes Play Alberta, the only legal online sportsbook in the province (at least for now), the official and exclusive online gaming partner of the Flames, Wranglers, Stampeders, and Roughnecks. As part of the new agreement, the Flames will feature AGLC’s responsible gambling program, GameSense, on their home helmets and a Play Alberta insignia on their home jerseys. The Stampeders, Wranglers and Roughnecks will integrate the Play Alberta logo onto their uniforms.

The two revamped exclusive partnership deals come just prior to the launch of a regulated online gambling market in Alberta, which is set to launch sometime over the next several months, according to government officials. Securing strategic partnerships with the professional sports teams in the province ahead of increased competition in the online gambling space from private operators is a smart business move on AGLC’s part.

Play Alberta has now cornered the overwhelming majority of partnership opportunities with professional sports teams in the province, as the provincial lottery corporation is also a corporate partner of the Edmonton Elks (CFL).

When Ontario launched its regulated online gambling market, private operators were scrambling to secure partnership deals with various professional sports teams and leagues in order to increase visibility and grab market share. For example, FanDuel, PokerStars, and PointsBet secured a joint partnership with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Toronto FC, among other franchises.

All revenue generated through the Crown corporation’s online gambling site is reinvested into Alberta’s General Revenue Fund, which helps fund local programs and services. This past year, PlayAlberta.ca generated $235 million in net sales, an increase of more than $42 million from 2022-23. That number contributes to the $1.5 billion in total gaming revenue that’s sent to Alberta’s General Revenue Fund and supports programs and services that Albertans rely on every day.

BetMGM’s WNBA insights

The interest in wagering on women’s sports, women’s basketball in particular, is on a meteoric rise.

It’s being called the Caitlin Clark Effect, and at least one sportsbook is reporting mind-blowing numbers. Check out the following data Canada Sports Betting obtained from BetMGM just prior to the start of the WNBA playoffs:

  • 108% increase in betting on the WNBA.
  • 2X as many women betting on the WNBA.
  • Six of the top eight most bet games involved the Indiana Fever.
  • Caitlin Clark player props were the most bet.
  • Five times as many bets on Clark as the second most bet player (Angel Reese).

“BetMGM experienced historic interest in the WNBA during the 2024 regular season with a 108% increase in betting year-over-year, BetMGM Sports Trader Hannah Luther told CSB. “Caitlin Clark establishing herself as a star player and veterans like Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson continuing to dominate fueled the impressive growth. Consistent interest in Clark props and Fever moneylines, and a significant number of bets on the Fever outright make Clark’s influence on the league undeniable. We expect these trends to carry over into the postseason which is shaping up to be highly competitive and exciting.”

The WNBA averaged 657,000 viewers for the 2024 regular season, its best mark in 24 years, according to Sports Business Journal. A record 22 games reached 1 million viewers across the league’s Nielsen-rated media partners (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ION, CBS and NBA TV) and Fever games averaged 1.19 million viewers this regular season, 199% better than 394,000 for other games.

Clark is the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer and a two-time national player of the year with the Iowa Hawkeyes. She was drafted first overall by the Fever this April and is the favourite to win the Rookie of the Year Award after helping Indiana clinch a playoff spot.

Additionally, a WNBA franchise has been awarded to Toronto for the 2026 season, which will give fans access to Clark north of the border.