The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) today attempted to clear up Wednesday's media circus regarding the Province's alleged interest in I-gaming regulation.
"I guess some of the media had exaggerated and were basically saying that we were moving ahead with that, and that's not the case at all," said Stephanie Francis, a spokeswoman for the AGLC. "We're not moving ahead in any way."
Various news sources on Wednesday reported that the AGLC had commissioned a poll, conducted via telephone and Internet, to determine how Albertans felt about online gambling.
Francis said that the survey was designed to keep the AGLC "abreast of the gaming industry market," and that this survey was one of several that the commission regularly conducts.
"We conduct surveys and look for input on a variety of subjects; this is just one of them," she said.
Francis did suggest, however, that the AGLC was not entirely indifferent to the idea of I-gaming regulation.
"Eventually . . . we'll look at developing an Internet strategy, but that will be very, very far down the road," she said.
No preliminary results have been made public; Francis said the survey is still ongoing, and is being conducted by an unnamed third party.
The AGLC has planned to make the results public, though no timeframe has been offered regarding their release.
"My understanding is that we will be sharing the results," she said. "As to how and when, we don't have any timelines yet . . . eventually, they will be made public."