DraftKings Dives into Alberta's Regulated Gambling

0:00It's April 16, Calgary News today starts now, AI-powered and ready. Alberta's diving into regulated online gambling, with the market set to launch on July 13. Big news dropped Thursday when DraftKings announced plans to jump in, offering sports betting and casino games. Minister Nally confirmed the date and hyped the move as a step towards safer play. Earlier this week, these score also showed interest, joining 32 total applicants. Twenty of them ponied up a $150,000 deposit, signalling real commitment to player safety, according to officials. Folks are reacting with cautious optimism, as the province rolls out stricter rules on ads. No targeting kids, or using active pro athletes, though. Retired stars can push responsibility messages. The big aim? Tame the unregulated grey market, which sucks up about 70% of current online bets. This builds on changes started last year, making it legal for outfits like DraftKings to operate here.

1:01Alberta's now the second Canadian province to go this route, following Ontario's launchback in April 2022. DraftKings called it their second Canadian spot. Timing the rollout with the World Cup hype across North America, expect more competition and oversight to keep things in check moving forward.