Alberta will open its regulated online gambling market on 13 July, and operators still running in the province’s grey market have been told to apply by then or stop taking bets.
Pokerfuse first reported in April that the launch date would be 13 July, after a letter from Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally set out the timing for the new competitive market.
According to Covers, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission has now published guidance for grey operators that want to move into the regulated system. Any operator that is, or has been, running an unregulated lottery scheme in Alberta must file an application by 13 July.
Those that do not apply are expected to cease unregulated activity by launch day, including taking bets from Albertans without provincial authorisation. The commission can consider a three-month extension on a case-by-case basis, which would push the latest possible transition point to 13 October.
CBC reported that agencies were sifting through 35 applications ahead of the market opening, while about 50 different apps and sites had already registered with the regulator as of the previous Friday. Dan Keene of the Alberta iGaming Corp. said approval depends on whether applicants sign the operating agreement and follow AGLC policies.
Keene also said applicants must go through an exhaustive onboarding process to make sure the system is right from the outset. Under Alberta’s dual-track model, companies first secure regulatory registration with the AGLC and then complete commercial onboarding with the Alberta iGaming Corp.
Deposits and wagering may not begin until registration is complete, the fee is paid, the AiGC agreement is executed and the market is officially open. At the time of the legal bulletin cited by JD Supra, AGLC had released its standards and requirements for internet gaming, but the final operator agreement and some operational policies had not yet been published.
One operator, Coolbet, said it would shut down in Alberta on 13 July because changes in the province’s iGaming rules meant it could no longer offer services there without a local licence. That is the clearest sign yet that some offshore brands expect to leave rather than attempt a late transition.
The new framework is intended to pull activity away from a market that remains heavily unregulated. Covers said roughly 70% of online gambling in Alberta currently happens with operators that are not Play Alberta, while polling suggested 74% of Albertans believe there are other legal iGaming sites in the province.
Officials want most online play to move to provincially regulated brands, and the Alberta iGaming Corp. has set a goal of having 70% of online gambling in Alberta take place with regulated sites by 13 July 2027. The provincial government expects about $76 million in fresh tax revenue in the first year, mostly from a levy of a little more than 20% of operators’ income.
The government has said the market is not being opened to raise money, but to give consumers better protection and regulatory oversight. CBC reported that the model sends 80% of gambling revenue to operators, 20% back to the province, 2% to Indigenous communities and 1% to social responsibility.
Alberta is following Ontario’s competitive model rather than a monopoly system. Ontario’s market generated $2.9 billion in total gaming revenue in 2024-25, up more than 30% from the previous year, and Pokerfuse reported that about 80% of online gambling action there has shifted to locally regulated sites.
The Ontario experience has also raised concerns about harm. A research co-ordinator at the Alberta Gambling Research Institute told CBC that problem gambling rates rose significantly after Ontario opened its market, and said the best prediction is that Alberta could see a similar pattern.
Alberta’s rules also limit advertising aimed at children, banning cartoon figures, symbols or role models that appeal to minors and restricting ads near places visited by minors. They further limit athlete endorsements, allowing active or retired sports stars to appear only in advertising for responsible-gaming practices.
The province’s self-exclusion programme is meant to keep people who opt out from using the sports books and gaming apps they are registered on. Steve McAllister said that the biggest issue is whether Albertans are satisfied with responsible gaming, the protection of their funds and the protection of their data.
Dale Nally has made clear that the province’s tone will change once the regulated market is live. He said Alberta had been hands-off with the grey and black market until now, but that operators who stay outside the system should not expect a free pass.
