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Alberta has announced $2.4 million in funding to Brick House Recovery Centre to enhance treatment and recovery programs for problem gamblers. The funds have been given at a time when the province is making headway with the regulated iGaming industry, which was introduced in mid-July under an agreement to allocate one percent of the profits towards the treatment of addiction.
The funds will go towards supporting Brick House Recovery Centre, which has branches in Edmonton and Calgary and provides virtual assistance to clients in the entire province. The facility strives to deliver quality recovery services to patients and their families.
Advance Funding Before Operator Payments
Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally said Albertans should think of this funding as an advance, ahead of the payback that will come from the gaming companies that are now doing business in the province. He described it as the first in a series of stages addressing problem gambling.
Nally emphasized that this is a government that is standing up a $2.4 million grant just to get the program rolling. He noted that operators will pay for treatment in the province, and anybody who struggles with problematic gambling behaviours will get help, with costs covered by the operators.
The province did not want to make Albertans wait while it collected that one percent from gaming revenues. That is why the grant is being made available now, allowing treatment services to begin without delay while the regulatory framework generates income from licensed operators.
Revenue Expectations from iGaming
Like any accounting practice, money is often counted before it comes in. The province has said that it expects to earn $76 million in revenue this year from iGaming. That represents 20% of all revenue brought in by the sites that are legally regulated in the province.
As of today, the Alberta iGaming Corporation has 31 sites listed as being legally open for business in Alberta. However, the cheques from operators are not yet in the mail, meaning the province is fronting the addiction treatment costs while waiting for revenue to flow from the regulated market.
Nally has said from the outset the reason Alberta joined Ontario as the only Canadian jurisdictions to legalize the iGaming market was that millions of dollars a year were already being spent on offshore gaming sites. Before legalization, gaming giant Betway announced in its earnings call that it had reported an eight percent rise in revenue in Alberta over the past year. Betway has been approved to launch in Alberta, but has yet to do so.
Legitimizing Existing Market
However, the decision to legalize gambling was not motivated by the desire to create a market, but rather to make a legitimate existing market. The idea was to legalize the flourishing black market, making it possible to control and tax the activities involved. In this way, the province will be able to benefit from the gambling that is already going on.
By bringing operators into a regulated framework, Alberta can ensure that consumer protections are in place while generating tax revenue. The one percent allocation for addiction treatment is part of this broader strategy to balance market access with responsible gambling measures.
One Percent Rate Under Review
Nally said the province is currently satisfied with the one percent figure. But Alberta’s population is growing, and in Ontario, gaming revenues have far surpassed estimates. This year, Ontarians are gambling to the tune of more than $9 billion per month.
Based on a growing market, he thinks the province has the budgeting right when it comes to the funds it will direct towards problem gamblers. But he said that the number will always be up for review. The government is monitoring land-based casinos, which are growing at a couple of percent a year, and expects iGaming revenues to grow every year as well.
The province believes that the 1% is going to be enough so that the operators will be paying for all the intensive outpatient-based treatment that is required. However, for those who struggle with problematic gambling behaviours, the government is prepared to raise the one percent if needed to ensure adequate treatment funding.
Support Services Available
In an official press release, Dr. Lovneet Hayer, one of the founders of the Brick House Recovery Centre, stated that the centre is dedicated to providing individuals and their families who have problems with gambling addiction with quality and recovery-oriented treatment. Their aim is to provide hope, assistance, and recovery opportunities for these individuals.
The provincial government advises anyone experiencing problems related to gambling to contact the 211 line available 24/7. This will give anyone in need access to the required services right away.
Source: Edmonton Journal
