Alberta's Regulated Online Gambling Market Goes Live

Alberta's regulated online gambling market launched July 13, opening the door for private sports betting companies and online casinos to compete for customers across the province. The launch makes Alberta the second Canadian province to allow private online gambling operators, following Ontario's move in 2022.  

Up to 50 operators paid a combined $200,000 in registration and permit fees ahead of the rollout, though Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally said he expects roughly 20 to actually be ready to accept players. A spokesperson for the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) confirmed the systems were fully operational as of midnight on launch day. 

The new framework for Alberta sports betting and Alberta online casinos stems from legislation the provincial government passed last year, and Nally said the driving goal is protecting people who gamble online rather than generating cash for government coffers.  

Alberta's self-exclusion program, which lets people voluntarily ban themselves from brick-and-mortar casinos, now extends to online operators as well, and companies must let customers set their own limits on time spent and money wagered.  

The list of operators going live on launch day includes FanDuel, bet365, Caesars, and DraftKings. Alberta’s land-based casinos are also looking to enter the online market, but some skepticism remains over how it will affect brick-and-mortar revenues.  

River Cree Resort and Casino outside Edmonton said it won't offer its own online product until later this year, with CEO Vik Mahajan acknowledging the shift could pull some business away from physical casino floors even as it opens new growth avenues. 

Alberta is estimated to generate $76M in tax revenue for the first year 

That launch follows weeks of anticipation built around a specific number. Nally told reporters ahead of the rollout that he expects the regulated market to generate approximately $76 million for the province during its first full year of operation.  

That projection is based on Alberta's revenue-sharing structure, which differs from the flat 20% cut of net revenue in the Ontario sports betting and Ontario online casinos markets. Under Alberta's model, 2% of gross gaming revenue is set aside for First Nations, and another 1% funds social responsibility programs, with the remaining 97% split. Operators keep 80%, and the province collects 20%.  

Nally has pointed to the large share of Albertans who were already gambling through unregulated offshore sites. He asserts that the group made up around 70% of the province's online betting activity before the regulation of Alberta sports betting apps. 

He framed the new system as a way to bring those bettors onto licensed platforms with actual oversight, telling journalists that gambling can never be made fully safe but that regulation makes it somewhat safer and more accountable.  

“We know that gambling will never be safe, it will never be responsible,” Nally said. “But there are ways to make it a little safer, and there are ways to make it a little more responsible.”