Alberta is set to become the second province to launch a regulated market in Canada after Ontario. The official launch date has been set for 13 July, 2006 and this will see Alberta allow licensed online casinos and sportsbooks to operate within the province.
Alberta Online Casinos and Sportsbooks to Launch in July
Dale Nally who is the Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tap Reduction and also the provincial minister responsible for iGaming informed stakeholders of the official launch date. He said, "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."
The letter issued to stakeholders by Nally was also signed by Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) chair Larry Spangnolo and Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) Interim Chief Executive Officer Dan Keene.
Nally also said, "Alberta's future in iGaming is bright, and with your partnership, we will ensure it is a success for everyone."
From the 13th of July, operators will be able to open their registered iGaming platforms in Alberta. Updates were also made on the AGLC website on the 31st of March.
Alberta iGaming Overview and What to Expect
Alberta is going to be the second Canadian province to launch a regulated online casino and sports betting market. This follows Ontario that launched its regulated iGaming market in April 2022.
AGLC will be the market regulator. It is also the operator of Play Alberta which is the government run casino, sports betting, and lottery platform. Until July, Play Alberta is the only Alberta licensed site in Alberta.
Alongside the AGLC, which private operators must register with, the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) will oversee and manage things in a similar way to how iGaming Ontario oversees regulated gambling in Ontario.
The online gambling tax that will be applied to all licensed operators is set at 20% of the gross gaming revenue. This is applied to both online casino and sports betting. The 20% rate will be applied after 2% has been deducted to go towards First Nations funding and 1% has been put towards social responsibility initiatives.
What Will Happen Between Now and July 13?
Registrations are open for operators who wish to conduct business in the new Alberta iGaming market and by the 13th of July, all applicants looking for a license must have registered with the AGLC and signed a commercial agreement with the AiGC. They will also be required to pay all fees.
Operators must also commit to integrating with Alberta's centralized self-exclusion program which allows all gamblers to opt out of all iGaming platforms, all land-based casinos, and racing entertainment centres. This can be done separately or everything at once.
Operators offering services in the grey-market have support services in place to help them get ready for the regulated market.
What Casinos and Sportsbooks Will Alberta Have?
In March the AGLC noted that more than 55 sites had shown strong interest in launching in Alberta. The number of companies will likely be lower than this as several operators will likely offer multiple brands such as the Casino Rewards Group that has 7 brands in licensed in Ontario.
The Super Group is also expected to be among the operators with brands like Jackpot City and Betway expected to launch in Alberta.
A number of operators have already completed the registration process and there are operators who have already confirmed that they will be applying for Alberta registration. These include Bet99, BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, Betty, and theScoreBet.
We will be keeping an eye on things and our Alberta online casinos page and Alberta sportsbooks guide will be getting regular updates once the market goes live.
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