Statistics:

• Over 80% of adult Albertans gamble on at least one gambling activity annually.
• Albertans gamble over $23 billion on legal gambling activities annually:
  • $  7,641,522,000 VLTs
  • $15,812,590,000 slot machines
  • $        34,691,000 Electronic Bingo
• Gambling Profits:
  • Lotteries & Electronic Gambling Devices
    • VLTs                            $   611,890,000
    • Slot Machines             $1,220,812,000
    • Ticket Lottery              $   298,125,000
    • Electronic Bingo         $      11,325,000
    • Total                           $ 2,142,152,000
       
• Gambling Venues in Alberta:
  • Bingo Halls - 28
  • Casino facilities - 24 (13,483 slot machines)
  • Ticket lottery centres - 2,650
  • VLT locations - 903 (5,989 VLTs)
  • Keno Facilities - 82
  • Racing entertainment centres - 3 

(stats from AGLC Annual Report (2013-2014)

History:

• 1969 Criminal Code of Canada ammended to authorize lotteries and sweepstakes.  Provinces have the authority to licence and operate lotteries and casinos.
• 1975  first not-for-profit casino established in Edmonton by a service club.
• 1980 Alberta's first permanent, privately operated charitable casino opens in Calgary, second opened in Edmonton in 1981.
• 1986 Casino ABS South (now Casino Edmonton) opens in Edmonton.
• 1989 The first horseracing simulcast is run at Calgary’s Trout Springs.

  Elbow River Casino opens in Calgary.

• 1990 Teletheatre betting is introduced.

  Sandman Inn Casino in Edmonton opens but closes after seven months in operation.

  Palace Casino in Edmonton opens.

• 1991 Video lottery terminals (VLTs) are tested at summer fairs in Edmonton and Calgary.
• 1992 VLTs launched in Alberta - projected 8,600 machines within 3 years.
• 1993 Casino ABS (now Casino Lethbridge) opens a facility in Lethbridge.
• 1994 the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC) receives funding for problem gambling treatment, research and education.Gold Dust Casino opens in St. Albert. Fort McMurray casino (now Boomtown Casino) opens as a small temporary operation.
• 1995 The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) is created by combining the responsibilities and operations of the Alberta Liquor Control Board, Alberta Lotteries, the Alberta Gaming Commission, Alberta Lotteries and Gaming and the Gaming Control Branch.

  Cash Casino opens a permanent facility in Red Deer.

• 1996 Slot machines are introduced into Alberta’s charitable casinos.

  Satellite bingo is introduced.

  The Alberta Racing Corporation is formed to help revitalize the horse racing industry in Alberta.

  Baccarat Casino opens in Edmonton.

  Frank Sisson’s Silver Dollar Casino opens in Calgary.

  Casino by Vanshaw opens in Medicine Hat.

• 1997 Casino Calgary opens.

  Jackpot Casino opens in Red Deer.

• 1998 VLT plebiscites are held in 36 Alberta municipalities.  Six municipalities vote to have their VLTs removed.  VLT retailers take legal action.  The courts rule that the VLTs cannot be removed unless there is specified legislation in place. 
• 1999 the Alberta government passes legislation to remove the VLTs (Bill 36) but the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench grants an interm injuction on May 20, 1999 prohibiting the removal of VLTs pending a constitutional challenge of Bill 36.  200 machines were removed from the municipalities in 2003. The Great Northern Casino opens in Grande Prairie.
• 2000 while a review of gaming licensing policies and processes are underway, considerations of requests to licence or approve new casinos, casino expantions/relocations, new games and gaming environments are suspended. Casino Yellowhead opens in Edmonton as the largest gaming facility (75,000 sq. feet).

  Boomtown Casino opens permanently in Fort McMurray.

• 2002 moratorium respecting new casino facilities removed on March 1st after review completed.  Review resulted in Bill 14, the Gaming and Liquor Amendment act which was passed.
• 2003 The AGLC honours the 1997-1998 plebiscite results and removes nearly 200 VLTs from seven communities across the province.

  DIGI Bingo and Keno are introduced into bingo halls across the province.

• 2004 all Alberta's 6,000 VLTs replaced with updated machines.
• 2005 Deerfoot Inn & Casino opens in Calgary.
• 2006 River Cree Resort and Casino opens on the Enoch Reserve adjacent to the City of Edmonton. It is the first casino to open under the province’s First Nations Gaming Policy. The Alberta government modifies policies to allow First Nations charities more flexibility to spend charitable gaming proceeds.

  Century Casino & Hotel opens in Edmonton.

• 2007 Casino Camrose opens.

  Casino Dene opens on the Cold Lake First Nation.

  Grey Eagle Casino opens on the Tsuu T'ina First Nation near Calgary.

• 2008 Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino opens in Kananaskis on First Nations land.

  Eagle River Casino and Travel Plaza opens in Whitecourt on First Nations land.
• 2009 Rocky Mountain House bar owners/operators present a petition to town council to abolish the VLT ban. A plebiscite is held in July and residents vote in favour to maintain the ban.
• 2013 all VLTs replaced with updated machines.