AGLC adds Inspired Entertainment terminals across Alberta
Deal follows successful six-month trial
Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) will roll out Inspired Entertainment terminals on a permanent basis after a successful trial run.
AGLC will install 150 of Inspired’s Valor video lottery terminals across the province by the end of June. The terminals had been tested over a six-month span that both companies said proved successful.
“We are delighted to welcome AGLC as a valued customer. AGLC’s decision to order 150 Valor cabinets underscores the success demonstrated during the trial period as well as the strength of our product portfolio,” said Brooks Pierce, president and CEO of Inspired Entertainment. “We look forward to a long and prosperous partnership with AGLC.”
Pierce added that Inspired remains committed to servicing the Canadian market. Alberta is its third province of operation, adding to its existing footprints in Ontario and Saskatchewan.
In that latter province, the company recently expanded its reach with a much larger rollout. In April, Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC) awarded the company an additional 720 Valor VLTs in a move that will take the total number of the terminals in that province alone to more than 1,500 by the end of the year. Inspired also said at that time that it will deliver new games next year.
AGLC to finally launch Play Alberta app
Meanwhile, AGLC VP of Gaming Dan Keene told Canadian Gaming Business last week that the commission will launch a Play Alberta app this September for the first time.
The app, the first under the Play Alberta branding since AGLC launched the platform four years ago, will be sportsbook-only at first but will add other verticals including online casino, live dealer and lottery by early next year. AGLC also expects to roughly double the size of its game portfolio on its site, including adding content from Aristocrat Gaming. The Australian games manufacturer recently completed its acquisition of the parent company of NeoPollard Interactive, the technology provider that powers Play Alberta.
“Play Alberta is still fairly young in its lifecycle and we’ve always had eyes on developing an app because it’s critical to the delivery of the product,” Keene told Canadian Gaming Business last week.
That update comes as estimates suggest that more than half of the overall online gaming market in Alberta is still held by unregulated sites, while Play Alberta’s market share sits at a little over 45%.