gambling in alberta - Research Services - University of Lethbridge

Notable in both studies is the absence of incidents associated with loan-sharking, money
laundering, and cheating-at-play, all of which undoubtedly occur to some extent.
Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission Data
Part of AGLC’s mandate is to license, regulate, and monitor gambling and liquor activities in
Alberta in accordance with the Gaming and Liquor Act, Gaming and Liquor Regulation, and the
Criminal Code of Canada. To help meet this part of their mandate the Regulatory Division of
AGLC has an investigations arm which is primarily responsible for a) enforcing terms and
conditions of AGLC licensing agreements, b) performing background checks on gambling
owners, employees, volunteers, and suppliers, c) investigate criminal occurrences related to
licensed gambling, d) coordinate with municipal law enforcement agencies to gather, analyze,
and disseminate intelligence.
Within the investigations branch of the Regulatory Division of AGLC is a multi-agency task force
called the Gambling Investigations Team (GIT) (formed in 2001). This task force is funded by
AGLC and is responsible for investigating crimes that occur on licensed gaming premises (e.g.,
cheating at play, theft) as well as illegal gambling (unlicensed gaming houses, bookmaking,
etc.). GIT investigators are RCMP and municipal police officers whose wages are paid by AGLC.
There are 2 full time RCMP officers, one in Calgary and one in Edmonton. There are 4 half-time
officers, with one in Camrose, one in Lethbridge, one in Medicine Hat, and one in the Tsuu T’ina
First Nation.
Gambling venues are required to report to GIT any illegal activity on their premises for
investigation. A request for data was made to the Executive Director of the Regulatory Division
of AGLC (Gill Hermanns). Mr. Hermanns indicated that this data was kept by the police and not
the AGLC. However, in a telephone interview he indicated he was confident that illegal
gambling activity has decreased with the infusion of legal gambling, and attributed this
decrease to the notion that people feel more secure going to a legal gambling venue when
presented with the choice of both legal and illegal gambling, therefore decreasing the market
for illegal gambling. Mr. Hermanns also pointed out that while illegal gambling has decreased it
has not been abolished, and made reference to a recent investigation where “gray machines
were seized from the backroom of a restaurant”.
There is some historical data that is useful to examine. Prior to the formation of AGLC, the
Gaming Control Branch in the Attorney General’s office was responsible for the control and
regulation of gambling. The Gaming Control Branch reported investigation statistics in their
annual reports from 1991 to 1995, reported in Table 52. Essentially these data confirm the
police incident report data in that theft and fraud tend to be the most common types of
offences, along with various forms of cheating.
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