- Province of Alberta plans to open regulated sports betting markets to private operators
- iGaming Alberta Act would create Alberta iGaming Corporation to regulate sports betting
- Play Alberta is currently the only regulated Alberta sports betting option
Last week the province of Alberta announced plans to grow their sports betting offerings by opening the doors for private operators to obtain licenses.
The plan was introduced through the iGaming Alberta Act (Bill 48) and would see the creation of the Alberta iGaming Corporation, overseen by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC). Alberta has been offering legal and regulated sports betting through Play Alberta since 2021, the only legal online casino in Canada in the province.
Alberta Aims to Keep Gaming Revenue In-Province
There is precedent and a model already in place to follow in Canada. Ontario has been operating in the commercial markets since 2022. Currently there are 49 licensed private operators in Ontario. The sportsbooks and casinos run alongside Proline+, operated by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).
Ontario iGaming brought in $2.2 billion in revenue in just the second year of operating.
Play Alberta created $235 million in gaming revenue during 2023-2024, but that’s only expected to be just under half of the market share, according to Dale Nally, Service Alberta Minister.
By opening the market to additional commercial operators, the hope is to increase that market share currently being occupied by offshore markets.
“The goal is to bring more players into a legal system, add consumer protections like self-exclusion tools, and keep gambling revenue in the province rather than lose it to unregulated or offshore sites,” says Nally.
“The goal is to bring more players into a legal system, add consumer protections like self-exclusion tools, and keep gambling revenue in the province rather than lose it to unregulated or offshore sites.” – Dale Nally, Service Alberta Minister
Bill 48 requires additional details to be laid out in the coming months such as revenue splits, responsible gambling precautions and a tax rate. Should Bill 48 gain approval by the Alberta government, the expectation is that commercially-licensed Alberta sports betting operators could begin taking bets in early 2026.
Current Alberta Sports Betting Options
While the AGLC-run Play Alberta is the only regulated option for Alberta sports betting, it’s hardly the only option.
Multiple offshore Canada sportsbooks operate globally and accept players from Canada and Alberta.
These sportsbooks are able to operate in what is often called the “grey market,” being neither legal nor illegal. Offshore sites accept customers from all over Canada, the United States and many international countries. They aren’t licensed in Canada, but own gaming licenses in other locations such as Curacao, Isle of Man, Malta, Costa Rica and others. Because they aren’t licensed in Canada, the government receives no tax revenues from these companies.
Players at offshore casino sites have access to sports betting, casino gaming, live dealer games and even prop wagers on popular entertainment events and politics.
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