FanDuel and BetMGM Among 30 Brands Confirmed for Alberta Launch

^{AGLC has released the first official list of confirmed operators for Alberta’s new iGaming market that will launch July 13. (Image: Timon Schneider, Alamy)}

FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and BetRivers are just some of the big names now officially confirmed to launch in Alberta when its iGaming market opens on July 13.

On Friday, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) released, for the first time, an official list of confirmed operators who have completed, or at least started, the licence registration process for Alberta.

Until now, information on which exact gaming brands would enter Canada's second legal iGaming province was limited to various operator press releases, earnings call announcements and general assumptions based on what companies were already operating online casinos in Ontario.

In total, 28 registered operators are mentioned in the Gaming Registrations document, though some operators will be launching multiple brands, such as Caesars, who will launch Caesars Sportsbook, Caesars Palace Online and Horseshoe Online Casino.

Most notable on the list are gambling giants FanDuel and DraftKings, who are the dominant market leaders and most recognized gaming brands in North America, and considered to be Tier 1 operators within the regulated iGaming industry.

Owned by Flutter Entertainment, FanDuel will not just offer online casino and sports betting to Albertans, but also poker, as Flutter has now closed its individual PokerStars brand in North America and moved all poker play onto its new PokerStars on FanDuel platform.

Headquartered in Boston, DraftKings will launch in Alberta offering two distinct brands, DraftKings Sportsbook and Casino as well as Golden Nugget Online Gaming.

Mid-tier operators want a slice of Alberta action 

BetMGM, a joint venture between MGM Resorts and Entain and the distant third Tier 1 brand in the North American market, will also launch in Alberta where it's expected to offer casino, sports and poker.

In Ontario, BetMGM poker and PartyPoker (also owned by Entain) exist as separate poker brands but share a player pool, and it's likely a similar setup will exist in Alberta.

Outside of FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM, other established gaming operators ready to launch their online casinos in Alberta include BetRivers, Caesars and SuperGroup, who own myriad gaming brands including Betway, JackpotCity, Spin Casino, Royal Vegas, Ruby Fortune and Grizzly's Quest.

Toronto-based theScore Bet, owned by PENN Entertainment, will bring its sports betting product to the province.

Local brands to compete with industry giants

Fully-owned Canadian companies who will launch online offerings on home soil include sports brand BET99, Betty Gaming, the official online casino partner of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors, Ontario-based CasinoTime, government-owned Play Alberta, as well as Pure Casino Entertainment and River Cree iGaming, which both own land-based casinos in Alberta.

Notable absentees on AGLC's initial list include bet365, Soft2Bet, TonyBet, GGPoker and 888, who have all verbally signalled their intent to launch in Alberta on July 13.

Ontario-specific brands NorthStar Gaming and PowerPlay, both expected for Alberta, are also off the list for the time being.

The full list of current confirmed operators for Alberta's new iGaming market is:

• Albertix Gaming Limited
• Bally's Canada (BallyBet Sportsbook and Casino)
• Bally's Canada (Monopoly Casino and Sportsbook)
• BET99
• BetMGM Canada
• BetNova
• BetRivers (Rush Street Interactive)
• Betty Gaming
• Betway (Cadway Limited)
• Caesars Sportsbook, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Palace Online (American Wagering Inc.)
• CasinoTime
• DraftKings (Crown DK CAN Ltd.)
• FanDuel Canada
• Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG CAN Ltd.)
• Grizzly's Quest (Cadtree Limited)
• JackpotCity (Cadtree Limited)
• Lucky Days (L7 Entertainment Limited)
• Pala Interactive Canada
• PartyCasino (ElectraWorks Maple Limited)
• Play Alberta
• PointsBet Canada
• Pure Casino Entertainment
• River Cree iGaming
• Royal Vegas (Cadtree Limited)
• Ruby Fortune (Cadtree Limited)
• Score Media and Gaming (theScore Bet)
• Spin Casino (Cadtree Limited)
• Sports Interaction (ElectraWorks Maple Limited)

To get the latest information on Alberta's iGaming market launch, sign up to our email list above.