Gambling Weekly News Summary in Canada – 2026/05/23
Dan Keene Confirmed as CEO of Alberta iGaming Corporation
The Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) has appointed Dan Keene as its permanent Chief Executive Officer, as the province prepares to launch its regulated online gambling market on July 13.
Keene had been serving as interim Chief Executive Officer and, according to the AiGC, had played a central role in building the corporation ahead of Alberta’s transition to a regulated private online gambling framework.
Before joining the AiGC, Keene was Vice-President of Gaming at the province’s gambling regulator, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC), where he was involved with the launch of Winner’s Edge, Alberta’s province-wide casino loyalty program, and also oversaw PlayAlberta.ca, currently the province’s only regulated online gambling platform.
Keene had also previously worked as Manager of Casino Products at AGLC and held roles at Century Casinos Inc.
“Dan brings deep operational experience and a strong track record in gaming and market development. His leadership will be essential as the Alberta iGaming Corporation prepares for launch and delivers a regulated market built on social responsibility and player protection,” said Sanjeev Kad, Board Chair of the Alberta iGaming Corporation.
EveryMatrix Approved for Alberta Online Gambling Market
Gambling technology company EveryMatrix has secured conditional licensing approval from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC), expanding its presence in the North American-regulated market.
According to EveryMatrix, the approval will allow the supplier to offer casino and sports betting platform technology to licensed operators in Alberta, which is set to become Canada’s second regulated online gambling jurisdiction after Ontario.
The company said that it plans to provide games from its in-house studio, Fantasma Games, alongside aggregated third-party casino content from launch, and said it has already signed commercial agreements in Alberta covering both platform services and gaming content.
The approval expands EveryMatrix’s North American footprint, where it already holds licenses in Ontario, New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.
“Entering Alberta marks an exciting step for the Group as we expand further into one of North America’s most attractive regulated markets. This approval shows the strength of our compliance team and our readiness to meet regulatory requirements in any market,” said Rani Axon, Market Manager of North America at EveryMatrix.
Poll Finds Growing Concern in Canada Over Gambling Harm
A new poll has found that Canadians are increasingly concerned about the negative impacts of online sports betting, particularly the risk of problem gambling among young men.
The poll, carried out by the Angus Reid Institute, found that 70% of respondents said they are worried about rising gambling addiction due to the availability of online sports betting. More than one in four said they fear someone they know may already be addicted.
The survey found that just over 10% of respondents had placed a sports bet in the past year, with participation rates highest among men under 55. Nearly half of all respondents described the growth of online sports betting as negative, while only 8% viewed it positively.
The findings come amid ongoing debate in Canada over gambling advertising.
Independent Senator Marty Deacon is promoting legislation to introduce national restrictions on sports betting advertisements, including limits on ads during live sporting events. Ontario, which operates the country’s only commercially competitive online gambling sector, banned the use of professional athletes in sports betting advertising in 2024.
Ziv (Steve) Chen
CEO at Major League Content
Ziv has been working in the iGaming industry for more than two decades, serving in senior roles in software developers like Playtech and Microgaming. He then followed his lifelong passion of writing and became a fulltime journalist, covering casinos, sports betting, legislation and other gambling topics and news with a specialty in North America.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziv-steve-chen-94b01b5/
