Rod lost almost everything to a gambling addiction. “I have nothing left. I gambled it all away. I got my hands on whatever I could, maxed out credit cards, lines of credit, everything,” he said. Rod, who CTV News is only identifying by his first name, hasn’t gambled in 18 years. He now sponsors others through Gamblers Anonymous and says most of the newcomers seeking help are struggling with online gambling. “You can do it anytime, anywhere, as long as you got the money,” he said. “Then, when you run out of money, you start getting creative on who you can hit up for some money, how you can get more money.” Albertans wagered nearly $2.9 billion through provincially regulated gambling websites in the first 80 days after the market opened July 13. They lost more than $122 million — an average of $1.5 million a day. Active player accounts grew from approximately 227,000 in July to nearly 389,000 in September, according to the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AIGC). Those figures represent accounts, not individual gamblers, who can register with multiple operators. Robert Williams, a gambling researcher at the University of Lethbridge, says the province’s expansion is bringing existing gamblers into the regulated market. “When you have that omnipresent advertising and promotion, it’s inevitable that you bring new people in,” Williams said. While no current data on gambling addiction exists in Alberta, Williams says it’s reasonable to expect that “the more people that participate, the more you’re gonna have a small percentage of the people with problems.” Warning signs from Ontario Ontario opened its regulated online gambling market to private operators in 2022. Research using Statistics Canada survey data found the proportion of Ontarians experiencing problem gambling increased from approximately 0.3 per cent in 2018 to 0.8 per cent in 2025. Williams estimates that increase represents approximately 50,000 to 60,000 additional problem gamblers in Ontario. Alberta does not yet have comparable data measuring the impact of its expansion. “We don’t know that it hasn’t spiked in the last few months in Alberta,” Williams said, adding that he suspects the number of problem gamblers would increase if counted. Williams expects any increase in Alberta to be proportionately smaller than Ontario’s, partly because Albertans have already been exposed to years of national gambling advertising. “But I don’t think it’s going to be as significant as it was in Ontario, just because we’re used to all these… these ads,” Williams said. Gambling available around the clock Williams says online gambling removes some of the barriers associated with visiting a casino, including operating hours and the need to physically handle money. “People who gamble at 3 o’clock in the morning are more likely to be problem gamblers than not,” Williams said. “And that you can gamble while you’re intoxicated. If you’re intoxicated in a casino, the establishment is obliged to identify you and remove you.” He is also concerned about the impact of gambling advertising. Those ads, he said, impact “hardcore” or routine gamblers who area already interested in placing bets and might be trying to control their activity. They also negatively impact young people, who Williams said often have “naïve notions about gambling.” “They don’t realize you can’t make money on it. It’s the house edge ensures that you’re gonna lose in the long run,” he said. It also doesn’t help that gambling ads are promoted by “some of their idols.” “It’s shaping their opinion about the excitement and the legitimacy of the entire activity,” Williams said. “It has a disproportionate impact on young people’s perceptions… which will lead them to more likely engage in it and try it out.” Alberta says regulation offers protections Alberta introduced its regulated market partly to move gambling activity away from websites operating outside the province’s regulatory framework. In an email to CTV News, a spokesperson for Alberta’s justice minister wrote: “Gambling addiction is a major concern for us, so our government’s focus is on supporting mental wellness and recovery for anyone who may be struggling. That’s why, when we regulated the online gambling market, we put player protection and social responsibility first.” “Operators must participate in systemwide self-exclusion, follow strict advertising rules and intervene when they see signs of problem gambling. We’re also directing one per cent of iGaming operators revenue to education, research and free, publicly funded treatment.” The province has also introduced a centralized self-exclusion system, allowing people to block themselves from participating operators. AIGC CEO Dan Keene says approximately 70 to 75 per cent of the wagering volume reported during the first 80 days came from websites already operating in Alberta before the July launch. Keene says the corporation is concerned about gambling-related harm and will continue working with organizations involved in prevention and treatment. “I think it goes without saying, anybody’s going to be concerned if you’ve got a problem gaming increasing and arising,” Keene said. “We’ll continue to work with our operators and others and Albertans to understand how do we best provide the resources and the tools to protect Albertans when it comes to gambling safely, if they choose to do so.” But the industry is still expanding. Keene says the number of regulated gambling websites could reach 60 to 65 by the end of the year, up from 51 in late October. Williams says the ultimate impact on gambling addiction in Alberta remains uncertain. “Online gambling is inherently more problematic,” Williams said, “and as more people get into that, we’ll see more problems associated with it.” That’s a prospect Rod fears will mean growing numbers at the twice-weekly Gamblers Anonymous meetings he attends. “I wish they’d never done it. I wish the Alberta government had foreseen what they’re doing to people, especially seniors. Seniors are losing their homes. They’re losing their retirement income. They’re losing everything.” If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling you can call the province’s 211 line, or reach out to gamblers anonymous at AlbertqaGA.ca or in calgary at Calgary telephone: 1-855-222-5542 The telephone line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A Gamblers Anonymous member will return calls. It is not a crisis line.
