Albertans can't legally gamble with Betway. So why is it advertising at Oilers games?

When following the Edmonton Oilers' playoff run so far, you may have seen ads for Betway on display.

Because during Edmonton-hosted games of the Stanley Cup final, an advertisement for Betway.net has appeared on the boards — and in the ice — of the Rogers Place arena.

Betway is an online betting brand that operates in various countries across the globe. And it's also a brand that is part of Ontario's regulated online gambling market.

But it's not a legal option for Albertans, as the province has only one legal regulated site for sports betting: Play Alberta.

To sports-gambling expert Victor Matheson, he says it seems Betway likely has a play in mind that involves getting its name out there while avoiding the direct promotion of an out-of-market betting service in Alberta.

"Betway has made a bet on the NHL and the Stanley Cup," said Matheson.

Betway has a partnershipwith the NHL that grants it branding rights during the regular season and through to the Stanley Cup.

But the company told CBC News the advertising seen in Edmonton during the finals is for its "global website," which doesn't feature gambling content.

The Betway.net site provides information about sports, including recent scores from events around the globe — including NHL playoffs.

Matheson said it seems the promotion of this site must provide a legal path for having this advertising in place in this manner.

"I kind of find that amusingly clever, I guess," said Matheson, an economics professor at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.

The province's legal betting site has also had its logo displayed on the boards in Edmonton during the finals.

Karin Campbell, the manager of communications for Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) said that