The joining of the two provinces could deepen the pool of daily fantasy and poker players in Ontario, and perhaps keep the likes of DraftKings, FanDuel, PrizePicks, and Underdog from closing their paid DFS contests in Alberta.Any blow to online poker or paid daily fantasy contests in Alberta caused by the coming regulation of internet gambling in the province could be weaker than the one dealt to Ontario — and because of Ontario, too.
The rules prompted DraftKings and FanDuel to shutter their daily fantasy businesses in the province — although they now offer online sports betting, slots, and table games — and has helped prevent other operators from joining the regulated iGaming market. This has grated on DFS and poker fans in Ontario, who may find themselves with nothing, little, or less to play.
A favorable ruling could benefit Alberta’s iGaming market as well. The province would then have a legal decision it could cite to allow locally regulated operators to tap the same sources of international liquidity for DFS and poker. “Moving away from a closed liquidity model would ensure that iGaming remains an attractive option and would discourage Ontarians from using unregulated gaming sites,” the factum states. “This approach would better protect the public by ensuring that the harms associated with online gambling are addressed and would provide for greater returns to the public purse.”
That means any DFS or poker sites operating outside Ontario could be doing business without being subject to local regulation, or acting in the"grey" market.