BET99 launched its sportsbook and online casino in Alberta on Oct. 13, entering the province’s regulated online gambling market on the final day of its transition window for former unregulated operators.
The brand was not among the 22 operators that began taking bets when Alberta opened its private-operator market on July 13. More than 40 platforms had gone live by BET99’s entry, creating a crowded field for a later arrival.
Alberta’s transition rules allowed operators unable to complete the process by opening day to receive extensions of up to three months. The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis, or AGLC, set July 13 as the deadline for completed applications and fees, while the Alberta iGaming Corporation manages the market after operators register and sign commercial agreements.
The window closed on Oct. 13 with no further extension, according to Public Gaming. Operators seeking to remain eligible for AGLC registration had to stop unregulated activity in the province by then, or risk being found unsuitable for registration.
Operators moving into the regulated market must settle outstanding wagers, return player balances and connect to Alberta’s centralized self-exclusion system before accepting bets. Licensed sites may serve only customers physically located in Alberta, and their accounts are covered by the provincial exclusion programme.
BET99 chief executive Jared Beber told Covers that the move required work on technology, payments, identity verification, customer communications and responsible-gambling tools. “Launching is one moment; earning people’s trust every day is the real work,” he said, acknowledging that the transition had not been seamless.
BET99 said it would seek to compete through pricing and personalized service, while treating Alberta as distinct from Ontario, where it already operates. The company has also named Cole Caufield and Georges St-Pierre as responsible-gambling ambassadors and encourages customers to set limits on deposits, wagers and time spent gambling.
The operator plans local events and watch parties beginning in Edmonton and Calgary before expanding its community-building efforts to smaller Alberta cities and towns.
