Alberta awards CA$2.4m to Brick House Recovery Centre as regulated igaming revenue-sharing plan starts

Alberta has committed CA$2.4 million to Brick House Recovery Centre to expand problem gambling treatment in Edmonton, Calgary and online, before the province begins collecting operators’ contributions from its regulated igaming market. For high-risk operators and PSPs, the point is simple: the province is putting treatment infrastructure in place alongside the new market, and the funding formula is explicitly tied to igaming revenue.

1. The grant will fund Brick House Recovery Centre’s services in Edmonton and Calgary, as well as virtual support available across Alberta. Minister Dale Nally said the one per cent revenue commitment is not fixed and could rise if treatment needs require it.
2. Alberta’s plan is to direct one per cent of regulated igaming revenues to gambling addiction treatment. The government is paying the CA$2.4 million upfront so services can start before operator contributions begin flowing from the new market.
3. Minister Dale Nally said the current share should be enough to cover intensive outpatient treatment for people experiencing problematic gambling behaviour, but added: “If we have to raise the one per cent, we’re prepared to do that.”
4. Dr. Lovneet Hayer, co-founder of Brick House Recovery Centre, said the organisation aims to provide recovery-focused support for people affected by gambling addiction, with “hope, practical support and a path towards lasting recovery.”
5. Alberta became the second Canadian province with a regulated online gambling market after Ontario. The market launched in July and allows private operators to offer sports betting and casino products under a provincial licensing system. Around 50 operators have registered with Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis, including DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel, bet365 and BetRivers, while the Alberta iGaming Corporation oversees the regulated market.

The province says around 70 per cent of gambling activity had been conducted through foreign-licensed operators up until now, and it forecasts around CA$1bn in gambling revenue during the first year. That gives PSPs and acquiring teams a clear read on the direction of travel: Alberta is building a domestic regulated model and attaching treatment funding to it from day one.