Alberta will open its regulated online casino and sportsbook market on July 13, allowing approved, licensed private operators to offer services alongside the Government-run PlayAlberta platform.
The new market is expected to generate around $76M in revenue during its first year, according to Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally.
As detailed by the Edmonton Journal, the Minister made the claim, while setting out how the government aims to strengthen consumer protection and shift players from offshore gambling sites to regulated operators.
Why has Alberta introduced a legalised iGaming market?
For years, the legal status of online gambling in Alberta was ambiguous.
While the province operates PlayAlberta, most players have used offshore operators, which has accounted for up to 70% of online gaming activity in the province.
Preventative measures proved impractical and futile. "We can't turn off the internet," said Nally. Instead, Alberta has taken its lead from Ontario, which launched its own iGaming framework in 2022 with around $87M of public revenue collected over the first 12 months.
The boost to the provincial tax purse has obvious benefits, but Alberta should be encouraged by the findings of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which has indicated that 91% of online gamblers now use licensed sites within its jurisdiction.
Alberta's online gambling framework will prioritise player safety
Alberta's full iGaming launch will aim to influence players to move to reputable, licensed platforms, while attracting international operators to obtain licences, comply with rules, pay taxes and promote responsible gambling.
The province has adopted much of the groundwork put in place in Ontario, including increased funding for responsible gambling and support for First Nations communities.
They will benefit from an additional 2% tax on total sales, earmarked for local development and social services support.
As part of the new market launch, PlayAlberta will compete with 49 licensed gambling businesses. International operators such as BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel and Bet365, along with Canada's Casino Days, have all secured licences.
Each operator must meet Alberta's standards across licensing, responsible gambling, consumer protection and advertising.
As part of these responsibilities, online gambling operators in Alberta are required to contribute 1% of gross gaming revenue (GGR) to responsible gambling initiatives in education, prevention, counselling and treatment.
The revenue-sharing model means operators retain more than 80% of net gaming revenue, while the provincial government receives 20%.
Alberta has introduced a province-wide self-exclusion programme allowing players to exclude themselves from all regulated platforms in a single process.
Advertising faces strict rules across television, radio, online and social media, with regulators set to monitor compliance and enforce sanctions for violations.
Full list of approved iGaming operators in Alberta
Minister Nally told SBC Summit Canada in May that around 70 operators expressed an interest to enter the market. As of last week, the number of approved, registered operators reached 49, including the Government-owned PlayAlberta.
The full list includes several brands that share a parent company and others offering multiple sites.
Here is the full list of registered, approved online gambling providers in Alberta:
- Apollo Entertainment (Captain Cooks Casino, Casino Classic, Golden Tiger Casino, Grand Mondial Casino, Luxury Casino, Yukon Gold Casino, and Zodiac Casino)
- Bally's (Bally Bet and Monopoly Casino & Sportsbook)
- bet365
- Bet99
- BetMGM
- BetNova
- Betty
- BetVictor
- Boyd Gaming-owned Pala Interactive's Stardust Casino
- Caesars (Caesars Sportsbook & Casino, Caesars Palace Online Casino, and Horseshoe Online Casino)
- Casino Days
- Casino Time
- DAZN Bet
- Delta Casino
- DraftKings (DraftKings Sportsbook and Casino and Golden Nugget Online Gaming)
- Ellipse Entertainment Limited's LuckyLiner
- Entain (Sports Interaction and PartyCasino)
- Evoke - 888 Casino
- FanDuel
- Lucky Days
- PENN Entertainment (theScore Bet, theScore Casino, and Hollywood Casino)
- AGLC - Play Alberta
- Pure Casino Entertainment
- River Cree iGaming
- Rush Street - BetRivers
- PointsBet Canada
- PowerPlay
- SkillOnNet (Mega Casino, PlayOjo, SlotsMagic, and SpinGenie)
- Soft2Bet - ToonieBet
- Super Group (Betway, Jackpot City, Royal Vegas, Ruby Fortune, and Spin Casino)
- TonyBet
- Vegas Club Casino
