Alberta iGaming Market on Track to Launch in Early Summer

^{Alberta is set to become Canada’s next regulated online gambling market as officials target a summer 2025 launch. (Photo: Dan Leeth / Alamy)}

After months of regulatory buildup, provincial government officials have confirmed that Alberta’s regulated iGaming marketplace is expected to open to the public in early summer. Both the province’s gaming minister and the market operator expressed confidence that licensed commercial operators will finally be able to go live in late June or early July.

Currently, Alberta residents have only one regulated platform available: Play Alberta, operated by Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC). But the full launch is now more a matter of timing rather than possibility.

iGaming Expansion Long Overdue in Alberta

According to Alberta regulators, the move to license more operators comes as surveys suggest that about 70% of Alberta’s iGaming market currently flows to unregulated offshore operators.

Under the new setup, AGLC will continue to run Play Alberta and serve as the gaming regulator, while a new provincial corporation, the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), will oversee the iGaming market specifically.

Initially, Alberta officials had hoped to roll out the open iGaming market by the end of 2025, if not earlier. While that initial target may have been overly ambitious, officials now say they are just months away from launching regulated online casinos in the province.

“I would suggest that spring/summer is when you’re going to see the market open in Alberta,” AiGC Interim CEO Dan Keene told Canadian Gaming Business on a phone call last week. “I remain very confident of that.”

In another interview with Canadian Gaming Business (CGB), Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, Dale Nally, provided an even more nuanced timeline.

“I can’t give you the exact date, but we have some temporary regulatory requirements that we put up, and the expiration on those I believe is the second week in July,” Nally told CGB. “So I think you can take that as a very big hint that we won’t be having this conversation in July…We have a date in mind. We’re just not ready to put [that date out to] the media just yet.”

RG Check Accreditation Required for Operators in Alberta

While the launch of the newly regulated market may still be a few months off, officials in Alberta have been making announcements that give more insight into what the new landscape will look like.

Last week, AiGC confirmed that all operators seeking to participate in the regulated iGaming framework will be required to obtain the Responsible Gaming Council’s RG Check accreditation. The RG Check program evaluates operators based on evidence-based standards, including the implementation of safety tools such as deposit limits and self-exclusion systems, staff training, and advertising standards. 

“Alberta is committed to building a safer, regulated iGaming environment where player protection comes first,” Keene said in the announcement. “By requiring RG Check accreditation, we’re ensuring that every iGaming operator in our market has demonstrated their commitment to player safety through independent verification of their responsible gambling programs.” 

Several major operators have already confirmed their intention to join the regulated iGaming market in Alberta when it launches. Those that have publicly shared their interest in Alberta licenses include PointsBet, BetRivers, Super Group (Betway), BetMGM, Caesars, and FanDuel.