Canada

World’s First Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines: Helping People in Canada Make Informed Decisions

Published

5 years ago

September 16, 2021

The Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines released by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) will help people in Canada reduce gambling-related harms. The guidelines, which are the culmination of over five years of intense research, provide evidence-informed advice about how to gamble in a lower-risk way.

The Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines are:

Gamble no more than 1% of household income before tax per month
Gamble no more than 4 days per month
Avoid regularly gambling at more than 2 types of games

For the Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines to be effective, people must follow all three guidelines.

“Gambling is a legal activity that can pose risks to some people in Canada, including financial hardships, relationship conflicts, emotional or psychological distress, and health issues,” explains CCSA Senior Research and Policy Analyst Dr. Matthew Young, who co-chairs the Lower-Risk Gambling Guidelines Scientific Working Group that leads the project. “These guidelines will help people in Canada who gamble do so in a way that lowers their risk of experiencing these problems.”

This is the first large-scale, international, comprehensive project in the world to produce guidelines for lower-risk gambling. Developing the guidelines involved:

Collaborating with some of the world leaders in gambling research;
Analysis of data from over 60,000 people who gamble from eight different countries;
Feedback from over 10,000 people in Canada collected via an online gambling survey;
A series of interviews and focus groups with people who gamble from across Canada; and
Consultation with over 20 individuals who work in harm reduction, treatment and programs related to gambling.

“Until now, our best advice to people who gamble was to set personal spending and time limits,” states Dr. David Hodgins, Professor of Psychology at the University of Calgary and co-chair of the working group. “We can now provide more specific direction on what these limits should be, based upon the experiences of tens of thousands of individuals.”

To present the guidelines, CCSA has created gamblingguidelines.ca. The website provides information on the guidelines, the types of harms people can experience and populations especially at risk, and further safety tips for avoiding gambling harms. There is also a suite of resources that partners and the public can download to help promote the guidelines.

Alberta

EveryMatrix gets conditional AGLC approval ahead of Alberta iGaming launch

Published

13 hours ago

May 19, 2026

Wladimir P.

everymatrix-gets-conditional-aglc-approval-ahead-of-alberta-igaming-launch

EveryMatrix has received conditional licensing approval from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) to offer its iGaming technology in Alberta.

The approval allows the supplier to provide casino and sports platform technologies to licensed operators in the province, which is expected to launch a regulated iGaming market in July. Alberta would become Canada’s second regulated iGaming territory after Ontario.

At launch, EveryMatrix said it will offer titles from its in-house studio Fantasma Games and aggregated content, with plans to expand its portfolio over time.

The company said the Alberta approval adds to its North American licensing footprint, which includes Ontario (since 2022) and US states New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. EveryMatrix also said it has signed agreements to deliver platform and in-house gaming content in Alberta.

Rani Axon, Market Manager, North America, EveryMatrix, said: “Entering Alberta marks an exciting step for the Group as we expand further into one of North America’s most attractive regulated markets. This approval shows the strength of our compliance team and our readiness to meet regulatory requirements in any market.”

The post EveryMatrix gets conditional AGLC approval ahead of Alberta iGaming launch appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AGLC

EveryMatrix secures licensing approval in Alberta Canada

Published

14 hours ago

May 19, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

everymatrix-secures-licensing-approval-in-alberta-canada

EveryMatrix has received conditional licensing approval from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) to offer its iGaming technology in the Canadian province, marking another step in the company’s expansion across North America.

The approval enables the Group to provide its award-winning casino and sports platform technologies to licensed operators in Alberta, soon to become Canada’s second regulated iGaming territory following Ontario.

Alberta’s regulated iGaming market is expected to launch in July this year, opening the door for licensed operators to enter the province under its new framework.

At launch EveryMatrix will offer premium titles from its in-house studio, Fantasma Games, as well as aggregated content with further opportunities to expand its portfolio.

The approval further strengthens EveryMatrix’s position as a tier-1 provider in North America, where it already holds licences in multiple North American jurisdictions, including Ontario since 2022, New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.

With a population of approximately five million, high digital adoption, and one of the strongest GDP per capita profiles in North America, Alberta is a high-potential iGaming jurisdiction.

EveryMatrix has already secured commercial opportunities in the province, with agreements in place to deliver both platform and in-house gaming content.

The post EveryMatrix secures licensing approval in Alberta Canada appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

BetGuard

iGaming Ontario Launches BetGuard Self-exclusion Tool

Published

14 hours ago

May 19, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

igaming-ontario-launches-betguard-self-exclusion-tool

iGaming Ontario has launched BetGuard, a tool that enables individuals aged 19 and older to voluntarily opt out of all Ontario regulated online gaming platforms through one online portal. By opting out through BetGuard.ca, players are prevented from accessing their existing accounts, creating new accounts, or receive marketing communications from any regulated igaming site in Ontario. This launch supports the government’s commitment to protecting players through strong and responsible gaming safeguards.

“BetGuard is designed with one simple principle in mind: if you need take a break from the entire regulated igaming market, you can. Player choice is key to the sustainability of our market, and that includes the choice to opt out,” said iGaming Ontario President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Hillier.

BetGuard benefits:

• Offers a dedicated website where anyone 19 years of age and older can opt out of online gaming in a few minutes without the need to visit individual igaming websites.

• Incorporates all igaming websites in Ontario’s regulated market, including OLG’s.

• Allows Ontarians to choose to opt out of online gambling for a term of 6 months, 1 year, 5 years or a custom term.

• Informs operators not to send direct marketing to individuals who have opted out.

• Offers a dedicated customer care line.

The launch of BetGuard reflects a shared commitment across government, industry and the responsible gaming community to provide Ontarians with an igaming market that has robust safeguards the unregulated market does not.

Ontario’s open and competitive igaming market has generated $262 million in 2025-26 in revenue that has been re-invested back into the province. The Government of Ontario has also invested over $421 million since 2018 in initiatives such as gambling-related public education and awareness programs, responsible gaming support, campaigns, and research.

The post iGaming Ontario Launches BetGuard Self-exclusion Tool appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.