Prospective operators have been put on notice after Alberta confirmed that its regulated online gambling market will open for business on 13 July.
The province will join Ontario, taking the mantle of Canada’s second regulated jurisdiction, and some of the industry’s biggest names have already confirmed their intentions to launch in a market that it is estimated could be worth over $700m a year.
PointsBet and Caesars Entertainment have already opened up pre-registration for Alberta residents ahead of opening day.
Meanwhile, operators such as BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Betway have all confirmed plans to enter the market and build on their presence in Canada.
For Betway and its parent company Super Group, the challenge is transitioning players from its grey market offering to its regulated entity.
Ahead of regulation, Play Alberta was the only brand legally able to offer iGaming products. However, it is estimated that 70% of players in Alberta engaged with the grey market.
Speaking to investors in February, Neal Menashe, CEO of Super Group, commented: “As we know, Alberta is expected to regulate. We are ready, and we’ve learned our lessons from Ontario on how to migrate customers from our dot.com product.
“We’ve enhanced our rest of Canada products and our Ontario products. All those features will now come into our Alberta product. As soon as all the regulations come and we’re ready to go, we’ll go for Alberta.”
Menashe also said that he expected a more measured approach from Super Group’s competitors compared to when the market opened in Ontario, where there was ‘lots of heavy marketing activity early on’.
Elsewhere, DraftKings has confirmed that it has earmarked investment for expanding into Alberta, while Flutter, FanDuel’s parent company, has included Alberta expansion in its 2026 guidance for its US operations, expecting revenue growth of 12% year-over-year to $7.8bn.
“We begin 2026 in a position of strength to capitalise on the continued strong growth we expect to see in the iGaming market,” Flutter told its investors.
A notable absentee from the list of already confirmed names is bet365, which so far hasn’t signalled its intentions for the market. However, given its presence in Ontario and focus on North American growth, it would follow that Alberta presents an exciting opportunity for the UK-based operator.
The mechanics of Alberta’s market will be familiar to many of the incumbents, given its similarity to the system used by Ontario.
Operators will be levied with a tax of 20% on gross gaming revenue, the same as Ontario, while Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) will act as the regulator. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is the regulator in that province.
Meanwhile, the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) will serve as a separate conduct-and-management agency in a similar role played by iGaming Ontario.
Key regulations of the new market are focused on social responsibility and player protection, with strict requirements in place over the scope of advertising allowed.
Following launch, players in Alberta will also have access to a province-wide self-exclusion register and financial and time-based limit tools.
“Under the new regulated market, player protection and social responsibility are at the forefront of operations,” stated a letter seen by iGaming Expert written by Dale Nally, the provincial minister responsible for iGaming, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction.
“The launch of a regulated iGaming market is an exciting chapter for our province, and I am confident that we can work together to build a market that is both competitive and socially responsible. Alberta’s future in iGaming is bright, and, with your partnership, we will ensure it is a success for everyone.”
Alongside the largest operators already mentioned, domestic and North American-focused brands such as BetRivers, the ScoreBet and NorthStar Gaming have confirmed plans to apply for registration in Alberta.
Many expected the market to open in Q2 of 2026, however, Nally said the decision to wait until July has been taken due to feedback from operators that they need more time to prepare for all the compliance requirements of the new market.
