Altenar has received conditional approval from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) to supply sportsbook technology in the province, positioning the B2B provider ahead of Alberta’s regulated online gaming market launch on July 13, 2026.
The clearance allows Altenar to offer its sportsbook solutions to licensed operators preparing to enter Alberta, which is set to become Canada’s second regulated iGaming jurisdiction after Ontario. The AGLC confirmed July 13 as the official go-live date earlier this year, providing timing clarity for operators and suppliers evaluating entry.
What the approval covers
Alberta has adopted a dual-track model similar to Ontario’s. Operators and suppliers must first secure regulatory registration from the AGLC, then complete commercial onboarding with the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), the body responsible for the commercial side of the market. The AGLC acts as regulator while the AiGC functions as the conduct-and-manage entity, mirroring the split between the AGCO and iGaming Ontario.
Altenar described the clearance as a conditional licence approval, granted ahead of the province’s launch. The company said the approval strengthens its position in North America as it continues to expand its regulated-market footprint.
Targeting the grey-market transition
A central commercial question for Alberta’s launch is how quickly operators can move players off unregulated platforms. The Alberta government estimates that unregulated operators currently capture roughly 70% of the province’s iGaming activity. The July 13 date doubles as a hard deadline for grey-market operators: any provider running an unregulated lottery scheme in Alberta must submit a completed application, pay registration fees, and stop taking bets by that date or risk being found unsuitable for registration. The grey-to-regulated shift echoes moves elsewhere, including Yolo Group’s pivot to fully regulated markets.
Matthew Ferrara, sales manager at Altenar, framed the company’s role around that transition.
“Alberta represents one of the most exciting regulatory developments in North America, and we are delighted to be preparing for launch. For Altenar, the priority is enabling operator partners to establish a strong, competitive foothold in a newly regulated environment. A key objective will be supporting the transition of players from grey-market platforms to regulated offerings. That requires not only a compelling product but also trust, ensuring reliability, competitive pricing, and a consistently high-quality user experience. If suppliers can help operators deliver that, they’ll play a central role in shaping long-term market dynamics.”
Ferrara added that success would be measured by how effectively Altenar equips partners with a sportsbook that drives acquisition, engagement and retention.
Alberta’s place in Canadian iGaming
Alberta’s framework closely mirrors the open-market model Ontario introduced in 2022. Ontario now estimates that more than 80% of iGaming activity runs through licensed operators, the channelisation benchmark Alberta is working toward. Channelisation rates remain a live concern across regulated markets, with the Dutch channelisation rate falling below 50% in the first half of 2025, a reminder that converting grey-market volume is not guaranteed.
Several major North American brands are expected to enter at or near launch, including FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, BetRivers and theScore Bet. The AGLC has not published a list of approved licensees, and as of late March fewer than 10 operators had paid the fees required to register. For suppliers, the value proposition rests on enabling operators to scale quickly, as seen when SoftSwiss helped Stake scale to $4.7bn GGR.
What comes next
The AGLC has said it may grant extensions of up to three months, to October 13, on a case-by-case basis, but only where an operator can show that compliance by July 13 was genuinely unachievable. For suppliers such as Altenar, the weeks before go-live will determine how many operator partners are live on day one and how much grey-market volume converts once the regulated market opens.
Source: Altenar
