Alberta Politico Behind New Gambling Push Faces Voter Recall
Posted on: November 27, 2025, 08:43h.
Last updated on: November 27, 2025, 10:53h.
- Dale Nally among 14 Alberta politicians facing recall efforts by voters
- 40 Canadian Senators call for nationwide sports betting ad ban
- PENN lays off esports staff
The politician spearheading Alberta’s regulated igaming market, likely to be similar to the one in Ontario, is one of 14 provincial politicians facing potential removal from office by recall.
Dale Nally, who represents the electoral district of Morinville-St. Albert, is a member of the governing United Conservative party under Premier Danielle Smith, and is Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction of Alberta.
Over the last while there’s been a growing number of recall efforts against UCP members that threatens to impact the balance of power in the province. UCP has 49 seats in the legislature, good for a majority, with the Alberta New Democratic Party at 38.
There’s a long way to go before any of the 14 politicians get booted from office. Still it makes one wonder what is exactly going on, with such a populist upswell. Alberta and B.C. are the two Canadian provinces with legislation that allows for the recall of politicians.
Nally was at the Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto in June and told the audience to expect the launch of the new Alberta igaming market “early next year”. How these recall efforts impact that is anyone’s guess.
Cansino.org reached out to Nally’s office for comment on that but we haven’t heard back yet.
Canadian Senators Make Push for Sports Betting Ad Ban
Last week it was reported that two Canadian Senators had sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney asking the government to have the CRTC ban all advertising for sports gambling apps and websites.
The letter, from Charlottetown Senator Percy Downe and Waterloo Senator Marty Deacon said people of all ages are being adversely impacted by a stream of ads that have turned their phones into “a pocket-sized casino.”
Senator Deacon has already sponsored a law calling for a new framework around sports betting advertising that is making its way through the House of Commons.
“You can’t legislate away human weaknesses, but you can legislate away the ability of others to take advantage of them,” Senator Downe said here.
Ontario already changed the advertising landscape by banning sports celebrities from being featured in ads that promote gambling, the exception being ads that talk about responsible gambling.
PENN Trims Back Esport Operation
As reported in Esports Insider, theScore esports operation in Toronto has just gone through some massive layoffs.
Parent company PENN Entertainment announced a major shift in their gaming strategy a few weeks back, ending their business partnership with ESPN, re-focusing on theScore brand on the U.S. sports betting front starting Dec. 1, and doubling down more on their sports betting and online casino operation in Ontario, and in 2026, Alberta, when that regulated market is expected to go live.
According to Esports Insider, more than a dozen former employees have announced they had been let go on social media. The esports operation, launched in 2015, actually pre-dates PENN’s acquisition of theScore which happened in 2021.
Casino.org reached out to a spokesperson at PENN for confirmation of the layoffs but we’ve yet to hear anything back.
DraftKings Launches Spanish-Language Experience
DraftKings announced yesterday it was launching a Spanish-language tab within the operator’s sportsbook and casino app, rolled out initially to select customers in the U.S. and Ontario. It will expand to everyone across their network in the coming weeks.
People whose mobile device language is set to Spanish will automatically see the DraftKings app primarily in Spanish after updating
“By bringing Spanish language functionality to our best-in-class product, we’re creating a more intuitive experience for our customers and expanding our total addressable market,” said Corey Gottlieb, Chief Product Officer at DraftKings. “This is consistent with our commitment to delivering the most authentic, personalized product for everyone.”
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