It is now official: GGPoker, the world’s largest online poker room, will not be launching in Alberta in the near future. The operator has decided to withdraw its license application, explaining that the market size in the province doesn’t make the platform commercially viable.
Although the company initially registered with Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC) a few months back, it has now decided not to pursue the full commercial license.
The decision stems from the fact that Alberta has launched as a ring-fenced market, meaning that only players physically located within the province can play on AGLC-licensed sites.
Although Alberta and Ontario are actively working on combining their player pools, in a statement to Poker Industry PRO, GGPoker has confirmed that even the shared liquidity between the two provinces wouldn’t be enough to create a scale required for a “sustainable, top-tier poker room.”
An Unexpected Twist
Although the writing was on the wall for a little while now, given the fact that GGPoker wasn’t listed among license recipients when the regulated market went live, the decision not to launch in Alberta comes as a surprise.
GGPoker operates in Ontario, the only other regulated market in Canada that also utilizes a ring-fenced model. That said, Alberta’s market size is about one third that of Ontario, which could be a significant factor.
However, the operator has confirmed that even if Ontario and Alberta were to combine their player pools, something that the two provinces have been actively working to achieve in recent months, it still would have no interest in launching in Alberta.
At the moment, GGPoker’s stance is that “shared international liquidity is the only proven model that simultaneously safeguards players, stimulates a competitive marketplace, and maximizes tax yield.” In the statement to PRO, the room emphasized that it would “eagerly reconsider entering the market should a framework permitting international shared liquidity be adopted.”
To remind you, Ontario has been actively working to reopen its market to the international player pool, and Alberta has joined their efforts before Canada’s Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has recently heard arguments from interested parties, and its decision is now pending, with no timeline given as to when it might arrive.
What Does the Future of Alberta Online Poker Look Like?
At the moment, there is just one poker site legally operating in Alberta, and that’s 888. In a somewhat surprising turn of events, the operator went live earlier in October, on the same day the new set of laws came into effect.
A few days back, PokerStars confirmed that it would be coming back to the province, launching under the PokerStars on FanDuel brand. While the statement announced the site would be “returning soon,” no specific date was mentioned.
It remains unclear whether PokerStars plans to launch in the near future or if the operator plans to wait for Alberta and Ontario to start sharing player pools.
BetMGM is another viable candidate. The operator expressed interest in the regulated market a few months back, but there have been no real movements to actually launch in the province. On a positive note, the site still maintains its positive attitude, which means that Albertans could get at least one more platform added to the mix in the near future.
As for GGPoker, it is now clear that the world’s biggest site won’t be a part of Alberta online poker journey during the early days. This could change if there is a positive decision regarding the international player pooling, but the experience tells us that courts like to take their time with these types of decisions, as there are many different factors to consider.
