Alberta’s regulated online gambling market opened on Monday, 13 July, with 50 operators cleared by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) to offer real-money casino games and sports betting to residents. The launch makes Alberta the second Canadian province, after Ontario, to run an open, competitive iGaming market instead of a single government-run platform.
Gambling in Canada is regulated province by province. Most provinces still channel online play through one government-owned site, which is what makes Alberta’s move notable. Ontario opened its market in April 2022 and now runs the country’s largest regulated online gambling sector.
What the legislation changed
Until this week, PlayAlberta, operated by the AGLC, was the only regulated online gambling site available in the province. Two bills ended that monopoly. Bill 16, passed in 2024, amended the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act to permit private operators. Bill 48, the iGaming Alberta Act, followed in 2025 and built the commercial framework for a multi-operator market.
Detailed regulations were finalised in January 2026, and the AGLC confirmed 13 July as the go-live date. The province had circled that date for months.
A two-body market structure
Alberta has divided oversight between two bodies. The AGLC stays on as the regulator, responsible for vetting and registering operators and enforcing standards on responsible gambling, advertising and integrity. A new entity, the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), acts as the commercial conduct manager. It holds the agreements with operators and oversees how the market runs.
The model copies Ontario, where iGaming Ontario sits alongside the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario as the commercial counterparty to licensed operators. Operators had to register with the AGLC, pay the required fees and sign commercial terms with the AiGC before they could accept a single bet.
Who is live at launch
The AGLC lists 50 registered operators for the opening, up from 28 in early May. The brands cleared to go live include FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and bet365. Caesars Entertainment is bringing three apps to the province: Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino. BetRivers, PointsBet, Betway and Toronto-based theScore also feature among the largest operators in the Americas, sitting next to Canadian brands with a domestic following.
Not every registered brand will be live on day one. The AGLC is clearing operators in stages, so apps will switch on as they receive final approval through the opening days.
Player eligibility and safeguards
Access is limited to residents aged 18 and older who are physically located in Alberta. Players register directly with an operator, submit identity documents such as a driver’s licence or passport, and share geolocation data to confirm their location. The AGLC directs users to GameSense for responsible gambling support.
The stakes for operators
Alberta has around 4.8 million residents, making it the largest new regulated iGaming market to open in North America this year. With no established private competition and only PlayAlberta and the grey market to convert from, the early contest will be over how quickly operators can sign up players and move them off unregulated sites.
Ontario’s first full year showed how fast a competitive market can scale once dozens of licensed brands compete for the same customers. The operators registered in Alberta are betting the same pattern holds, and the staggered approvals mean the real measure of the launch will come over the following weeks rather than on day one.
Source: Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis
