The role of digital advertising in the growth of Alberta’s iGaming industry

In this column, Alex Gitsik, CMO at Soft2Bet, explores how operators can use Alberta’s pre-launch advertising window to build trust, establish local relevance, and position their brands for long-term success as the province moves toward a regulated iGaming market.

On 4 May 2026, Google Ads updated its gambling advertising policy for Alberta, allowing online gambling ads for market participants that meet the relevant requirements set by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission. The policy allows brand-awareness campaigns ahead of the commencement of formal wagering, provided the campaigns are limited to Alberta and supported by proof of an AGLC licence application.

Every new regulated market needs a period during which brands preparing for entry can be seen, understood, and trusted before players are asked to register and, once permitted, deposit. Alberta now has that window. The province is moving toward a regulated open iGaming model, taking many of its cues from Ontario, and I believe that operators who use this period well are likely to have an advantage when players begin choosing where to register.

Many people in Alberta who already play online are likely to be more familiar with offshore brands than with the operators preparing to enter the regulated market. The Government of Alberta estimates that unregulated operators account for around 70% of the province’s iGaming market, which shows the size of the audience potential market participants will need to reach.

This is where media spend can start to connect with future regulated growth. The question is how quickly brands preparing for market entry can become known and trusted. Advertising reaches those brands where players make decisions: search results when they check regulatory status, affiliate pages when they compare terms, social and sports media when a name begins to feel familiar, and retargeting when a player is close to registering. 

Used well, those channels can help turn existing online gambling demand into registrations, funded accounts (once permitted), repeat play, and, over time, a larger regulated revenue base.

Turning regulation into player confidence

The message should go beyond telling people that a brand is preparing for entry. It should make clear that the operator understands Alberta’s regulated framework, the standards expected of market participants and the player protections built into the model. That distinction is important. Operators preparing for market entry can explain how the provincial model works, how player protection is expected to operate, which safer gambling tools may be available, and why a regulated market can help keep more gaming revenue in Alberta rather than flowing offshore. For players, this turns regulation from a background policy issue into a practical reason to trust the platform.

I believe that the first layer of advertising should focus on regulation. Search can answer questions about regulatory status; affiliate content can explain terms and withdrawals; social can build familiarity with the sport and entertainment; and programmatic advertising can deliver the same message to the media players they already follow.

A player should not see one tone in a search result, another on an affiliate page and a third inside the product. The brand has to feel consistent from the first ad to registration, then, once wagering begins, from the first deposit to the first return visit. That consistency turns launch marketing into the start of a player relationship.

The channels that will build the market

Some players will search for an Alberta sportsbook or casino options directly. Others will come through an affiliate guide, a sports article, a social post, a sports collaboration or a programmatic placement beside the content they already follow. The strongest operators are likely to make each channel feel connected, so the player does not feel they are dealing with a different brand at each step.

As part of the wider market context, Google Ads is likely to be influential because it reaches players when they are already comparing options. A player searching for “Alberta sportsbook” or “online casino Alberta” is trying to determine which brands are preparing to participate in the regulated market, which ones feel safe, and which are worth comparing. The page behind the ad needs plain answers on regulatory status, registration, verification, payments, withdrawals, product range and safer gambling tools. That first click should reduce uncertainty.

SEO can help visibility last beyond the initial burst of launch spend. Good organic content can explain the same issues in more depth, from bonus terms and payment methods to casino content, sports markets and responsible play. It also gives players a way to check the brand at their own pace. In a market where offshore habits are already established, being easy to find in search supports trust.

Many players already check reviews before they deposit, and in Alberta, those reviews will help explain the market. Players will want to know which operators are preparing to participate in the regulated market, how withdrawals will work once wagering begins, what the terms actually mean, and whether the product is well-suited to the province. Operators that provide affiliates with accurate information, strong product proof, and clear local messaging will be better placed to compete on more than just headline offers.

Social media and programmatic advertising can then build familiarity before a player starts searching. Sport, entertainment and local media placements give brands repeated exposure where people already spend time, while CRM and retargeting continue the relationship after registration through event-led messages, product updates, tournament updates, safer play reminders and personalised offers that respect consent and responsible gambling rules. In that sense, launch media can help move a player from awareness to registration, then, once wagering begins, from deposit to long-term value.

How advertising shapes player behaviour

The players’ decision to make their first deposit on a site is often part comparison, part instinct. A player considers promotions, odds, game selection, and payment options. They also read the whole experience: whether the brand looks serious, whether the copy is clear, whether withdrawals are explained properly, whether safer gambling tools are visible and whether the tone feels responsible.

That has real relevance in Alberta, where market entrants are likely to ask players to move away from offshore sites they may have used for years. Players need to see why the regulated framework offers stronger safeguards, how funds are expected to be handled, what protections are in place and why the brand may be worth returning to. 

Digital advertising can build that confidence gradually. In my view, a hockey-led campaign can create the first moment of recognition; search content can answer the regulatory status question; affiliate reviews can explain payments and terms; and retargeting can bring the player back with a tournament, product update, or reminder that feels relevant rather than intrusive. Each contact should give the player another reason to trust the brand, rather than simply repeating the same acquisition message.

Strong advertising can also give Alberta players a reason to choose a brand that feels local, rather than defaulting to a global name they already know. That means reflecting the sports calendar, the market tone, the payment habits players expect, and the product features they are likely to value. After registration, the site has to carry the same standard: clear journeys, strong casino and sportsbook content, visible safeguards and enough depth to turn a first visit into a habit.

Localisation in the Canadian prairies

Alberta must be treated as its own independent market. Calgary and Edmonton have different sporting identities, hockey will be central, and the wider province brings CFL culture, Stampede season, winter sports, combat sports, rural communities and energy-sector work patterns into the media mix. Strong campaigns can reflect these details without turning them into clichés.

Localisation should shape the whole journey, including imagery, language, sports priorities, offer timing, landing pages, CRM and retention. A campaign that could run unchanged in Toronto, New Jersey or London will struggle to feel credible in Alberta. Players should sense that the brand has been shaped for their market, from the first ad through to the product experience.

For operators, that means speaking plainly, using the sports calendar effectively, explaining payments and product strengths clearly, keeping safer gambling visible, and connecting digital advertising to the entertainment players already care about.

What ToonieBet’s past Canadian campaign showed about local recognition

A previous ToonieBet campaign in Ontario offers a relevant Canadian reference point for Alberta. To begin with, the name is quintessentially Canadian. A toonie is an everyday Canadian term, so the name carries local recognition before the first product claim appears.

The previous Ottawa Senators collaboration carried that recognition into sport. During the campaign, ToonieBet appeared across in-arena and broadcast branding, rink-board visibility, Senators digital channels and fan engagement activity. In my view, that type of campaign can make a digital brand feel closer to the market, because players encounter it in a familiar sports setting before meeting it again through digital media.

The execution would differ in Alberta, but I believe the principle still applies. The value of a past collaboration can go beyond logo placement, giving a brand more recognition before performance channels do their work. By the time a player sees the brand in search results, on an affiliate page, or in a retargeting message, the name may already be somewhat recognised. That can make the digital journey feel more familiar and less dependent on bonus-led acquisition. Search, affiliates, social media, CRM and credible local collaborations should reinforce the same identity so the brand feels familiar before a player makes a deposit once wagering begins.

The brand has to outlast the welcome offer

Alberta is likely to attract operators with strong sportsbooks, large casino lobbies, mobile apps, recognised suppliers and payment options players are already familiar with. In the first weeks, many brands will look competitive on paper. The more challenging test comes after the welcome offer has been used. This is where brand identity can become a barrier to entry, because a clear local brand gives players a reason to remember one operator over another.

Brand identity becomes especially relevant after the first offer has done its job. Does the player remember the name? Does the site feel easy to return to? Does the experience feel local, clear and distinctive, or does it feel like another version of the same casino and sportsbook journey they have seen elsewhere? A first deposit may be won through media spend and promotion value. Repeat visits are more likely when the brand gives the player a clear reason to come back.

This is why the handover from advertising to product is such an essential part of the process. If a campaign promises a local, trusted and well-designed experience, the product has to deliver the same standard after registration. The player journey, casino content, sportsbook experience, rewards, missions and safer gambling tools should all feel part of the same brand.

From my perspective at Soft2Bet, MEGA, the Motivational Engineering Gaming Application, shows how marketing and product can support the same player journey. MEGA enables casino and sportsbook brands to add gamification engines with missions, challenges, rewards and personalised progression, helping operators turn the post-registration journey into something players can follow, enjoy and return to.

Winning the Alberta digital race

Paid search, SEO, affiliates, social media, programmatic advertising, CRM and retargeting should support the same journey: recognise the brand, understand its regulatory position, feel confident enough to register, and find enough value in the product to return.

Imported creative and aggressive acquisition spend may still bring short-term results. That advantage may be short-lived if the brand feels generic after the first visit or if the product fails to live up to the campaign’s promises. In my view, operators will need a local voice, clear regulation-led messaging, strong sports relevance and a player experience that gives people reasons to trust the brand. The welcome offer should not be the only reason an Alberta player signs up. 

Operators that invest early in local identity, credible Canadian collaborations where appropriate and joined-up digital advertising are likely to compete more effectively for Alberta players and help shape how the regulated market is perceived. Operators that rely on generic creative, disconnected channels or bonus-led acquisition alone may still attract attention, but in my view, they will find it harder to build lasting player relationships.

Digital advertising can help influence the confidence behind a first deposit once wagering begins. Localisation, brand identity, product quality and credible Canadian collaborations are likely to influence who keeps the player after launch.