Alberta announces $2.4 million for gambling addiction treatment at Brick House Recovery Centre

Alberta announced $2.4 million in funding to Brick House Recovery Centre on Thursday to expand addiction treatment and recovery programs for problem gamblers. The announcement comes less than three months after Alberta legalized regulated online gaming in mid-July.

Brick House has locations in Edmonton and Calgary and offers virtual support to clients across the province. The funding will enhance its treatment capacity as demand is expected to rise.

Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, characterized the $2.4 million as an advance on money the province pledged to reserve from iGaming revenues. Alberta committed one per cent of all iGaming revenue to addiction treatment. "What we didn't want to do was to make Albertans wait while we collected that one per cent," Nally said. "That's why we're standing up the grant now."

Alberta expects to earn $76 million in iGaming revenue this year, which represents 20 per cent of all revenue brought in by legally regulated sites in the province. The Alberta iGaming Corporation has 31 sites listed as legally open for business. Nally said the province legalized online gaming because millions of dollars a year were already being spent on offshore gaming sites. Betway, an operator, reported an eight per cent rise in revenue in Alberta over the past year before legalization was approved.

Alberta and Ontario are the only Canadian jurisdictions with legalized iGaming markets. Nally said the one per cent figure currently satisfies the province but remains open to review. He pointed to Ontario as a cautionary note: gaming revenues have far surpassed estimates there, with Ontarians gambling more than $9 billion per month this year. "We believe that the one per cent is going to be enough so that operators will be paying for all the intensive outpatient-based treatment that's required," Nally said.

Dr. Lovneet Hayer, co-founder of Brick House Recovery Centre, said in a statement: "We are committed to helping individuals and families affected by gambling addiction access high-quality, recovery-focused care. Our goal is to offer hope, practical support and a path toward lasting recovery."