TLDR
- Alberta’s gambling regulator AGLC has banned all political betting including elections and leadership contests ahead of the province’s new online gambling market launch
- The amendment to Alberta’s Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming expressly prohibits wagers on political events
- Alberta’s regulated online gambling market is expected to go live this summer
- Unlike Ontario, which allows election betting, Alberta is charting its own course with stricter rules and a higher tax rate
- Prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket continue to offer election betting outside of traditional regulated markets
Alberta will not allow election betting when its new regulated online gambling market opens later this year.
The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission published a bulletin on Tuesday announcing a new rule that bans political wagers. The change comes as the province prepares for the launch of its competitive online gambling market, expected sometime this summer.
The regulatory update involves an amendment to section 4.6 of Alberta’s Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming. The new addition is a single line that reads: “Bets on political events (e.g., elections, by-elections, leadership contests) are prohibited.”
The AGLC said it is committed to reviewing policies to meet the needs of stakeholders while maintaining an effective regulatory environment. The commission described the amendment as a result of that ongoing commitment.
An exact launch date for Alberta’s regulated online market has not been confirmed. The current expectation points to sometime this summer.
Alberta Takes a Different Path Than Ontario
Ontario is currently the only Canadian province with a live regulated open market for online gambling. Ontario does allow election betting on its platform.
While Alberta’s gambling expansion plans largely borrow from Ontario’s framework, the ban on political wagers shows the province is not simply copying its neighbor. Alberta will also implement a steeper tax rate than Ontario’s 20%.
The province plans to have centralized self-exclusion in place before launch. Ontario’s provincial self-exclusion program still has not launched almost four years after its market opened.
Legal election betting has been extremely rare in North America. Ontario remains the only jurisdiction to have maintained it in a regulated setting.
In April 2020, FanDuel launched presidential election markets in West Virginia after receiving approval from the state lottery board. Government officials shut it down almost immediately after betting opened.
West Virginia senator Jim Justice, formerly the state’s governor, called the attempt ridiculous at the time. He said the idea was humorous but ultimately absurd.
Prediction Markets Fill the Gap
The absence of legal election betting across most of Canada and the US has not eliminated demand. Grey and black market operators continue to give users the option to bet on political contests.
Prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket have made election betting a major part of their business. Several election markets are currently available on Kalshi.
These platforms are largely unavailable in Canada, though Polymarket is accessible to Albertans. On the US side of the border, prediction markets operate under federal regulations.
Many states have expressed frustration with the federal oversight of prediction markets. The tension between state and federal authority over these platforms remains unresolved.
The AGLC has not shared its reasoning for prohibiting political wagers. However, the decision puts Alberta in line with the vast majority of North American jurisdictions that have avoided regulated election betting.
Alberta’s market launch is still months away, and the AGLC has indicated that further policy adjustments could come before opening day. The amendment banning election betting is one of several behind-the-scenes changes being made as the province works toward its summer launch target.
Polymarket remains accessible to Albertans despite the province’s decision to ban political betting in its regulated market.
