Canada: Alberta First Nations say provincially regulated gambling website unauthorized

Canada: Alberta First Nations say provincially regulated gambling website unauthorized

Article brief provided by The Canadian Press
  • Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press
April 8, 2021 2:45 AM
  • Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

Two First Nations are taking the Alberta government and its gaming commission to court over the province’s entry into the online gambling sector.

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Play Alberta, a provincially regulated site launched last fall, offers virtual slots and table games while casinos remain shut down due to COVID-19.

The province has said it expects the site to raise more than $3.7 million in 2021.

The Tsuut’ina and Stoney Nakoda First Nations in southern Alberta want the courts to shut down the site and have filed an application for a judicial review. They argue Alberta’s move is an “unauthorized and impermissible” entry into the casino and gaming market.