Alberta iGaming launch could sideline DFS operators

[The Buzz]

Alberta’s regulated iGaming market is set to launch on July 13, and under the current framework, paid daily fantasy sports operators such as DraftKings are expected to discontinue their fantasy contests in the province, similar to what occurred in Ontario.

While Alberta permits daily fantasy sports, rules requiring participants to be physically located within the province could make regulated offerings difficult for operators to sustain.

Looking ahead, the landscape could improve if Alberta reaches a shared liquidity agreement with Ontario or if the Supreme Court issues a favorable ruling that allows larger player pools across jurisdictions, though neither outcome is guaranteed.

From Covers.com:

"I'm pretty certain we have to give it up,” DraftKings chief compliance officer Jennifer Aguiar said last month during the SBC Summit Canada conference in Toronto.

DraftKings had to drop DFS in Ontario after that province launched its competitive market for online sports betting and internet casino gambling in 2022.

Alberta is now set to launch a very Ontario-like iGaming market July 13 with similar rules, and DraftKings, which currently offers DFS in Alberta, is saying it is fairly sure it will have to shut down those contests.

Another DFS giant, PrizePicks, exited Canada entirely this year, which means it won’t be in Alberta either. Underdog, meanwhile, has steered clear of Ontario.

So, while Albertans could soon have more than a dozen provincially regulated options for online sports betting (up from the one, Play Alberta, that they have now), they may not have a single authorized DFS provider.

If someone does try to offer DFS in Alberta after July 13, it may be without the blessing of the provincial government, which could attract attention from regulators.

Read more here: https://www.covers.com/industry/albe...unch-june-2026

[Valge]

It is a bit ironic, going from one regulated option to a dozen, but DFS players might actually end up with nothing. Also, the geographic restriction kills it. Nobody wants to play DFS in a pool of 200 people. In my opinion, shared liquidity with Ontario might solve it.

[GlobalPokerSites]

I assume the demand for a physical presence is just an effort to gain corporate tax from anyone offering DFS?