Regulated iGaming market goes live in Alberta, government aims to box out grey market
Officials say 22 operators can now take bets, and Alberta will collect 20% of revenue while requiring self-exclusion and wager limits.
- On Monday, Alberta officially launched a regulated iGaming market under the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis , authorizing private sportsbooks and online casinos. The province projects $76 million in first-year revenue through a 20 per cent operator levy.
- Following legislation passed last year, Alberta became the second province to open private online gambling after Ontario, aiming to capture bets currently placed on unregulated offshore sites that previously dominated the market.
- Registered operators must connect to a mandatory centralized self-exclusion program allowing players to ban themselves for up to three years. As of late June, 47 companies registered, though Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally estimated only 20 were ready for launch.
- Estonia-Based Coolbet announced it would exit Alberta due to the regulations, while DraftKings pledged $150,000 to Food Banks Alberta and FanDuel announced charitable donations supporting mental health resources and disaster relief.
- Robert Williams, a professor with the Alberta Gambling Research Institute, warns the market creates an "economic vacuum on the province" because multinational operators lack local economic footprint. Officials maintain player safety remains the primary regulatory objective.
43 Articles
43 Articles
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Alberta launches online gambling market
Albertans can now bet on sports and online casinos using third-party operators. As of Monday, 22 private operators have been approved to work in Alberta. The new legislation comes with rules on advertising and safe gambling initiatives.
Alberta opens online gambling market to private operators
Alberta has opened up its online gambling and sports betting market to allow in private sites and apps. The news: Private gambling sites and apps can now operate in Alberta after changes to the Province’s regulations around iGaming came into effect today. The Alberta iGaming Corporation, which manages Alberta’s iGaming market, as well as several iGaming companies, posted online about the opening of the private market. According to the minister…
This liberalization means that PlayAlberta, the provincial online gambling platform, will no longer have a monopoly in this market.
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