Alberta Opens Regulatory Path for Online Gambling Market

Alberta is moving ahead with plans to introduce a competitive online gambling market, allowing commercial operators to participate under new provincial rules. The initiative follows years of discussion and comes amid widespread participation in unregulated gambling sites that currently dominate the market.

New Framework Centers on Player Safeguards

Government officials say the rules are intended to bring private betting activity under a regulated framework while requiring operators to meet uniform requirements. The regulations are expected to apply to online sports betting and internet casino gambling.

The province’s only authorized option, PlayAlberta, accounts for a minority share of wagering activity. Surveys cited by officials indicate unregulated companies with offshore licenses capture the majority of online betting in the province. Recent government figures estimated that these operators account for approximately 70 percent of Alberta’s gambling market. In 2025, PlayAlberta reported $275 million in net sales, reflecting growth year over year, though still well below total estimated market participation.

Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally said the regulations will likely take effect in late spring. “These are the rules that the operators are going to have to adhere to if they want to play in the space we’re offering,” he said. “We want to make (gambling) as safe and responsible as we possibly can.” He added that industry interest appears strong as operators evaluate entry into the regulated market.

The regulatory framework includes requirements for verifying age and physical location, with players needing to be at least 18 years old and located in Alberta to wager. Operators must also implement self-exclusion tools that apply across online platforms in the province. According to Nally, “there’s going to be time limits and player betting limits. Also, we are going to have system-wide self-exclusion. So in Alberta, when you hit that button, you will not just be self-excluded from all online sites, but from land-based casinos and racing entertainment centres.”

Online gambling companies will have to provide gaming activity statements to players and intervene when indicators of problematic behavior appear. The rules also restrict advertising that targets minors or uses current or former professional athletes.

The provincial government created a new body, the Alberta iGaming Corporation, to oversee commercial operators. The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission will regulate the market and continue to operate PlayAlberta. Operators will complete a multi-step process that includes registration with the regulator and signing an agreement with the new corporation. Alberta will retain 20 percent of gaming revenue, while two percent will support First Nations and one percent will fund social responsibility initiatives, including gambling research and treatment programs.

Unregulated Activity Faces an Immediate Stop Requirement

Draft standards published in an iGaming bulletin show that the province intends to restrict participation by operators engaged in unregulated activity. The standards state that “registered Operators and registered Goods or Services Suppliers must cease all unregulated gaming activities in Alberta’s iGaming market if, to carry out those activities in Alberta’s regulated online lottery scheme, those activities would otherwise require registration under the iGaming Alberta Act or Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act.”

The standards further say that “registered Operators and registered Goods or Services Suppliers must not enter into any agreements or arrangements with any unregistered person who is providing any goods or services that would otherwise require registration in Alberta.”

Unlike Ontario, where operators received several months to transition from gray-market operations, Alberta is including a stop requirement at the outset. The province began accepting registrations as it published the draft rules, signaling that the market’s launch is approaching. Officials had initially targeted a launch by the end of 2024. Nally now expects operators to enter the market within a few months.

Alberta has attracted attention from companies pointing to demographics that include the youngest adult population in Canada, high per-capita GDP and high spending on gambling. Analysts previously estimated the province’s online gambling market could exceed $700 million annually. Government officials emphasize that the new rules will prioritize player protection and establish clear standards for private-sector participation. As Nally said, according to CTV News, “It is our responsibility to step in, regulate the market and hold private providers to the highest standards to protect Albertans, particularly our youth.”