Canada’s Gambling Industry Transformed by Black Market Growth

The Canadian gambling landscape is undergoing significant transformation as unregulated iGaming operations continue to challenge the traditional monopoly system that has long dominated the industry.

The End of the Monopoly Era

Paul Burns, president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA), emphasizes that the monopoly model has been effectively obsolete for over 25 years due to the widespread presence of unregulated iGaming across Canada. “Because of the large unregulated iGaming market presence in Canada, no one’s had a monopoly for 25 years and that’s the reality,” Burns stated in an interview with GGB magazine.

Provincial Responses to Market Changes

Alberta’s Regulatory Transition

Alberta has taken decisive action by passing the iGaming Act, which establishes a framework for introducing a regulated online gambling market by 2026. Currently, PlayAlberta—the province’s only regulated platform—captures only about 20% of the market, leaving the vast majority of iGaming activity in unregulated hands.