The Canadian province of Alberta has moved a step closer to launching its newly regulated iGaming market after officially opening iGaming registrations to interested operators and service providers.

The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) is accepting registration applications from interested parties after amendments to the Gaming Liquor and Cannabis Regulation were approved Wednesday.

iGaming providers will be required to put player protection and social responsibility at the forefront of their operations, ensuring that consumers are protected when the regulated private iGaming market launches later this year.

“For Albertans who choose not to gamble, the best option is to not start,” said Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction. “With unregulated iGaming widely available in our province, it is our responsibility to step in, regulate the market, and hold private providers to the highest standards to protect Albertans, particularly our youth.”

As part of the new rules and regulations, licensed operators will be required to ensure their advertising does not target minors and that professional athletes are not used to promote gambling activities. 

At launch, player protection measures such as system-wide self-exclusion and financial and time-based limit tools will be available. All iGaming operators, including sports betting, must integrate their platforms with the AGLC’s centralized self-exclusion system.

Operators will also be required to provide Albertans with gaming activity statements, and to intervene when signs of problematic gambling behaviour emerge.

“The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) and its members commend the Government of Alberta for implementing measures to protect its residents through the establishment of an expanded regulated iGaming market,” said CGA president & CEO Paul Burns.

The new regulations closely mirror those set by AGCO in Ontario, with a comparable tax structure that will see operators retain 80 per cent of net gaming revenue. Before this however, an initial 3 per cent deduction will be taken from gross gaming revenue (GGR), of which 2 per cent will be allocated to First Nations and 1 per cent to social responsibility initiatives, pushing the effective tax rate to approximately 22.4 per cent. 

A successful market entry requires a two-step process. Applicants must first register with the AGLC, which handles due diligence, compliance and enforcement. Once registered, operators must enter into a commercial operating agreement with the newly formed Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC).

Alberta requires a single upfront payment covering all due diligence costs. iGaming operators will pay a one-time C$50,000 application fee and C$150,000 annual registration fee, while suppliers will pay a C$15,000 annual registration fee or $3,000 registration for other goods and services.

The provincial government claims that a regulated iGaming market will also allow Alberta’s government to recover revenue currently lost to unregulated gambling sites. Based on recent survey data, unregulated operators are estimated to capture approximately 70 per cent of Alberta’s total iGaming market.

Distinct from Ontario, Alberta will permit land-based casinos to collaborate with operators to establish sportsbooks on their premises.

Currently, PlayAlberta is the province’s only regulated iGaming site, which is operated by NeoPollard Interactive under the direction and management of the AGLC.

In its most recent fiscal year, PlayAlberta generated C$275 million in net sales, an increase of $35 million from FY2024-25.