First Nations Sue Alberta Government Over Play Alberta Rollout

Two First Nations in Canada are taking legal action against the government of Alberta, demanding that the court shut down Play Alberta, the province’s recently established online gambling site.

On Wednesday, Brent Dodging Horse, CEO of Tsuut’ina Gaming and tribal councillor, addressed a press conference via Zoom. Tsuut’ina Nation and Stoney Nakoda First Nations are the two first nations to sue Alberta, requesting a judicial review in response to Play Alberta, the province’s only regulated online gaming platform. Launched in October 2020, Play Alberta includes slots, casino table games, and instant-win lottery games. The lawsuit alleges that Alberta Gaming & Liquor Commission (ALGC) broke agreements and overstepped its jurisdiction by operating an unlicensed online casino and illegally issuing itself a license, thereby violating the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act. The two First Nations hope the review will ultimately shut down what they view as an “unauthorized and impermissible” platform.

Broken Agreements

Brent Dodging Horse, CEO of The Tsuut’ina Gaming, expressed his concern during a Zoom news conference on Wednesday, explaining that the Alberta Gaming Liquor, and Cannabis (AGLC) Commission’s responsibility was only to regulate the gaming, liquor, and cannabis industries in Alberta and not to enter the sector as a competitor. He went on to explain that with the launch of the province-owned online gaming platform Play Alberta last year, there had been a breach of all prior agreements between the tribal operators and the provincial government. After establishing an advisory committee of representatives from the province’s gaming industry to challenge this decision, Dodging Horse argued that Play Alberta’s competitive nature had added fuel to the flame of this already precarious situation, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 Adds Fuel to Flame

Chief Clifford Poucette of Stoney Nakoda’s Wesley band recently voiced his concerns over the current circumstances of closed casinos in Alberta for around four months due to the COVID pandemic, leaving Play Alberta as the only option available. Despite this, the charities supported by the land-based gaming in the province are still not able to meet the needs of its people, subsequently impacting the housing, infrastructure, education, and health of the Tsuut’ina and Stoney First Nation, who own the Grey Eagle and Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino. Chief Poucette addressed the issue in a news conference, saying: “It is unfortunate that the province has put us in this position of having to take this action before the courts. However, this government has simply refused to enter meaningful discussions.”