Alberta to Enter Online Gambling Space, Betfred Exits Maryland

Written by :

C Costigan

Published on :

21 June, 2024

Alberta to Enter Online Gambling Space

Alberta, which includes the cities of Calgary and Edmonton, would open up its market in line with Ontario’s launch in 2022. Commercial online gambling has since contributed CA$2.7bn (US$1.97m) to Ontario’s GDP, according to figures released this week.

Dale Nally, Alberta’s minister of service and red tape reduction, confirmed the province’s broad plans during a session at a conference in Toronto on Thursday. He was speaking just weeks after Alberta’s legislature passed Bill 16, which simplifies the expansion of the province’s gambling sector. Source: iGaming Business

Betfred Exits Maryland Market

Digital wagering operator Betfred Sportsbook revealed that it will be exiting the state of Maryland at Thursday's (20 June) Maryland State Lottery & Gaming Control Agency meeting.

Betfred is the latest European-based operator that has begun shedding its U.S. sports betting presence amid a difficult competitive operating landscape. Unibet previously left the market this spring or was in the process of doing so.

Betfred had been partnered with Long Shot’s in Frederick, but both the retail and online sportsbooks will cease operations by the end of July.

Betfred recorded a May handle below $500,000 compared to FanDuel, which accepted $195.2 million worth of online bets in Maryland last month.

Betfred currently lists Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, Ohio, and Nevada as states in which it currently operates.

Betfred is a bookmaker based in the United Kingdom founded by Fred Done. It was first established as a single betting shop in Ordsall, Salford, in 1967.

As Betfred exits, Bally Bet and Betr each plan to enter the Maryland gambling market shortly.

By Chris Costigan

Chris founded Gambling911.com in 1999 and serves as the website's publisher. He brings more than 3 decades of expertise related to the gambling and sports betting sector. Creative talent is in Chris' genes, which he brings to the G911 website. He comes from a showbiz family that includes Yankee Doodle Dandy George M. Cohan. Chris is the grandson of artist John E. Costigan, whose work appears in the Smithsonian. Chris' father was also in the news business and co-founded what is today the Union County Performing Arts Center. Chris is a graduate of Kean University.