BET99 has been laying the groundwork in Alberta for some time now.
- BET99 has officially launched in Alberta’s regulated online gambling market, joining 40+ competing platforms.
- CEO Jared Beber plans to stand out through personalized service, competitive prices, and sports and entertainment experiences tailored to the community.
- Beber supports regulated competition over gambling monopolies, and recent developments have presented opportunities in other provinces.
I saw it with my own eyes in July, when I was running around downtown Calgary with a green, BET99-branded cowboy hat in tow. It was days before the launch of Alberta’s competitive market for sports betting and online casino gambling, and operators were making a push to introduce themselves to their clientele.
That market went live on July 13, but BET99 wasn’t yet among those participating.
Like several other brands, BET99 has taken some time to join the provincially regulated market, which was allowed as part of the province’s transition plans.
“A transition of this scale involves a tremendous amount of work, from technology and payments to verification, customer communications and responsible gambling tools,” BET99 CEO Jared Beber said in a recent interview with Covers. “I wouldn’t describe every part as seamless, but our team and partners have been working hard to make the experience as smooth as possible for customers.”
Alberta is borrowing from the model that Ontario launched in 2022 and has been refining ever since. And while Ontario was the first province in Canada to launch a competitive iGaming market, and Alberta is second, Alberta and Ontario are not the same. There are even key differences between regions of Alberta, of which BET99 and others may be well aware (i.e., don’t push Flames props on Oilers fans, and vice versa).
BET99 has the lay of the land in the province. And, as of Tuesday, the iGaming operator is now officially live in the Alberta sports betting market.
With that launch looming, Beber answered a series of questions from Covers explaining what BET99 has to offer, his thoughts about competitive markets versus monopolies, and what may be next for the company.
The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity:
Geoff Zochodne: What do you think are the most important things bettors should know about BET99? If I'm a bettor in Alberta, and I'm shopping around for a new book in this competitive market, why should I choose BET99?
Jared Beber: What makes BET99 different is the depth of the experience we’re building around our customers. Competitive pricing, a tier 1 sportsbook and casino offering, and personalized service are the foundation. But we’ve also built an ecosystem that connects betting with sports, content, live entertainment, and community.
BET99 sits alongside our media and entertainment businesses, with capabilities spanning original content, event production, and hospitality. Our partnerships with organizations like the NHL and Live Nation Canada help us bring that world to life. The 99ers community connects it all, giving people ways to come together around the teams, music, and moments they love.
For Alberta, our approach is to make that experience locally relevant. That means listening to Albertans, building relationships with local venues and communities, and creating experiences that reflect their interests. Alberta has its own identity and incredible sports and entertainment culture, and we want to contribute to it.
We also put real emphasis on the human side: accessible support, personalized attention and making customers feel valued. You shouldn’t have to be our biggest player to feel that you matter.
Ultimately, we want people to choose BET99 for the quality of the product and service, and stay because they feel part of something, with trust and responsible play underpinning the entire experience.
BET99’s Responsible Gambling Ambassadors, Cole Caufield and GSP, know that responsible gambling starts with staying in control. Use Time, Wager and Deposit Limits to play within your budget and on your terms. Gamble Responsibly with BET99. https://t.co/Ereerh2POv
— BET99 Canada (@BET99CA) September 24, 2026
GZ: How does BET99 plan to stand out from the crowd in Alberta? Where does BET99 see the biggest opportunities for itself in the province.
JB: The ecosystem gives us the foundation. The opportunity now is to bring it to life in ways that feel distinctly Albertan.
We see enormous potential in connecting local venues, fans, creators, and communities. Imagine your neighbourhood becoming a destination for game night, a watch party with a special guest, or an intimate event that brings you closer to an artist or athlete you love. Those are the kinds of moments we want the 99ers community to be known for.
What excites me is that we have the relationships, production capabilities, and hospitality expertise to create those experiences ourselves. We can bring local ideas together with national partnerships and give Albertans something special.
And this extends beyond Edmonton and Calgary. Some of the strongest community spirit is in smaller cities and towns, and we see a real opportunity to build with those communities too.
We have exciting plans taking shape, and I don’t want to get ahead of the announcements. But I would encourage Albertans to keep an eye on 99ers. Our ambition is to open doors to experiences and connections that are hard to find elsewhere ... and make people feel they’ve found a community that adds something to their lives.
GZ: While Alberta's iGaming market is relatively similar to Ontario's, are there differences in either the rules or the bettor in Alberta that are important to note? If so, what are they, and how does BET99 plan to address or utilize them?
JB: Ontario gives us valuable experience, but we’re approaching Alberta as its own market. Our team has been working through Alberta’s requirements carefully, and we appreciate the regulators’ engagement in helping us understand their expectations.
On the customer side, I’d be cautious about making broad assumptions about what an ‘Alberta bettor’ wants. There’s tremendous passion for sports here, but interests vary by person and community. The important thing is to listen and learn rather than arrive with a fixed formula.
We have local leadership helping shape that approach, from the content we create to the venues and organizations we work with. We’ll combine those local insights with customer feedback to keep improving the product, service, and experiences we offer.
The standards we set for ourselves, trust, personalized service, and responsible play, are consistent. How we bring them to life should reflect Alberta.
GZ: Alberta and Ontario have now adopted a competitive and regulated model for iGaming. Elections in Quebec and British Columbia look like they may create opportunities for similar models in those provinces. Do you think the latter two should pursue Alberta/Ontario-like iGaming models? Why?
JB: Yes, I believe both provinces should give that approach serious consideration, while designing a framework that reflects their own priorities.
In Quebec, I’ve been encouraged by the leadership shown by both the Parti Québécois and the Quebec Liberal Party in supporting clearer oversight of private online gaming. Recognizing the opportunity to modernize the framework is an important step, and we would welcome the chance to help turn that direction into a practical, effective model.
For me, the starting point is the consumer. People deserve strong protections, accountable operators, and clear standards wherever they choose to play. A competitive framework can bring those objectives together while generating public revenue and supporting investment and jobs.
There’s also an important role for the provincial lottery corporations. They bring established brands and deep local knowledge, and can remain strong participants alongside private operators.
The same principles merit consideration in British Columbia. Each province should determine its own approach, drawing on the experience of Ontario and Alberta.
BET99 joins a competitive, regulated iGaming market in Alberta, and the company believes there are real opportunities where BET99 can stand out. Covers illustration.
GZ: Why do you think the Alberta/Ontario way of online gambling (license, regulate, compete) is more effective in capturing iGaming activity than alternatives, such as lottery monopolies, lawsuits, cease-and-desist letters, etc.?
JB: Because an effective framework has to work with how people actually behave online. Consumers have choices, and offshore sites are a click away. The question for governments is whether that activity happens inside an accountable system or outside it.
Monopolies struggle to hold the market. Finland’s channelization rate fell from about 90% a decade ago to roughly 50%. Its parliament voted overwhelmingly to move to licensing, with the support of Veikkaus, the state operator, which said it hadn’t had a real monopoly for a long time. Veikkaus keeps lotteries and land-based gaming. That model shows a public operator and a licensed market working side by side. In Norway, which still has a monopoly, about half of online players use sites other than Norsk Tipping.
Enforcement alone doesn’t close the gap. France licensed betting and poker but left out online casino. It has had blocking powers since 2022, yet its illegal market is estimated at up to €1.5 billion, close to half the size of its legal online market. Regulators now report more French players on illegal sites than on legal ones.
Licensed competition works. Denmark channelled 91.5% of online gambling spending through licensed operators in 2024, up from under 40% before it opened its market in 2012. Ontario went from an estimated 70% of activity on unregulated sites to over 91% of players using regulated ones.
The legal offering has to be competitive. Where licensing comes with heavy taxes and restrictive product rules, as in the Netherlands, players and their spending drift back offshore. Strong oversight and an attractive legal market have to work together.
Alberta deserves credit for taking this path, and other provinces can draw on a decade of international evidence about what works.
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— BET99 Canada (@BET99CA) October 8, 2026
GZ: Are there aspects of the Alberta or Ontario models that you believe still need to be tweaked in some way? If so, how? And have regulators there been receptive to feedback about those?
JB: Every framework should evolve as regulators, operators and customers gain experience. That’s a sign of a healthy system, and both provinces deserve credit for taking on the work of building these markets.
One area worth continuing to focus on is making the customer journey as clear and straightforward as possible, from verification and payments to accessing responsible gambling tools. Strong protections are essential, and thoughtful implementation can make them easier for customers to understand and use.
There’s also value in greater consistency across provinces where it makes sense. Each province will have its own priorities, but alignment on technical requirements and processes can help operators spend more time improving the customer experience.
In our experience, there has been a willingness to engage and hear feedback. That doesn’t mean every suggestion will be adopted, nor should it be. Our responsibility is to bring practical evidence and constructive recommendations, while respecting the regulators’ broader mandate.
The goal is continuous improvement: strong player protection, clear accountability, and a market people feel confident choosing.
GZ: With the transition and launch in Alberta now complete, what are the next biggest priorities for BET99?
JB: Alberta is an important milestone, and we see it as the beginning of a much bigger chapter.
Our immediate priority is to deliver on what we’ve promised Albertans: a great customer experience, personalized service, and a community that becomes more valuable as it grows. Launching is one moment; earning people’s trust every day is the real work.
Beyond that, we’re investing in our technology, our people and the connections between BET99, our media and entertainment businesses, and the 99ers community. We’ve spent years building those capabilities, and we’re now in a position to bring more of them together. Customers will see that through new experiences, stronger products, and some exciting announcements ahead.
We’re also watching developments in Quebec and British Columbia with interest. We would welcome opportunities to participate under clear provincial frameworks, while respecting that those decisions belong to each province.
I won’t get ahead of specific plans, but our ambition is substantial. We’re building a Canadian sports and entertainment business with depth, staying power, and a lot more to offer. Alberta is a major step forward ... and there’s much more ahead.
