Two provincial gambling operators in Canada are jointly seeking a “national sports betting solution.”
The Atlantic Lottery Corporation and the British Columbia Lottery Corporation released an RFP this week to find a single supplier for Canada sports betting technology. The two lotteries are the sole sports betting operators in their provinces.
The ALC has an April 24 closing date for the RFP.
Loto-Québec can also enter an agreement with the supplier, and other provinces are invited to join the collective. This could include other Canadian Lottery Coalition members, the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries.
History Of Sports Betting In Canada
Since 1992, ALC has offered the sports betting platform ProLine, which several provinces use. BCLC offers Proline on its PlayNow platform.
Before 2021, only parlay-style wagers were allowed. ProLine+ launched in 2021 after single-event sports betting was legalized in Canada.
Ontario, the only open commercial Canadian market, also has a Proline-branded lottery sports betting product. In February, Kambi announced it was now the sports betting platform provider for the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.
Commercial market slow to develop
While Alberta is on the horizon, the only Canadian province available to commercial online gambling operators is Ontario. It opened in April 2022.
Regulators have regularly celebrated the success of sports betting in the province, but other provinces remain slow to consider the commercial market.
There has also been backlash, particularly around advertising. Last year, a bill establishing a national framework for sports betting advertising passed through the Senate.
Alberta timeline delayed
Last year at the Canadian Gaming Summit, Dave Nally, minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, announced Alberta’s market could open to commercial operators in late 2024. Nally later pushed the date back to October 2025.
Last week, Covers reported Canadian Gaming Association CEO Paul Burns told a panel at NEXT NYC that Alberta would likely launch in early 2026.
Residents have access to the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission’s Play Alberta.
