Government-Owned Play Alberta Adds NHL Stars To Promote Responsible Gambling but Also Sports Betting

^{Operated by Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), Play Alberta wouldn’t say if the deal is reflective of what future marketing practices under a legal and open market might look like.
(Image: Play Alberta)}

Government-owned Play Alberta has enlisted Calgary Flames’ Dustin Wolf and Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl to promote responsible gambling, but also on-site betting.

Alberta’s only legal and regulated online gambling site stated the addition of the goaltender and power forward will give them “a boost when it comes to highlighting AGLC’s social responsibility programs, GameSense and Self-Exclusion.”

The NHL stars will be featured in materials that promote safe gambling tools and resources that help set bet, deposit and loss limits, and remind players to take voluntary breaks and reality checks.

However, the pair could also be seen on Play Alberta’s sportsbook in a banner promoting betting on 'The Battle of Alberta', as Edmonton Oilers faced off with Calgary Flames on Wednesday evening.

Looser laws in Alberta?

Operators using celebrities that appeal to children to promote gambling is somewhat of a hot topic in Canada and North America at the moment, as the practice is completely banned in Ontario but common practice in some US states.

With Alberta likely to be the next Canadian province to expand its iGaming market to private casinos and sportsbooks, operators and advertisers alike have been waiting patiently for any small indicators on what the exact rules and regulations might be.  

When asked about this specific instance of athlete endorsement on the Play Alberta website, a spokesperson for AGLC told Casinos.com:

“At this time, Play Alberta’s use of athletes/celebrities in external marketing will extend to promoting the site’s social responsibility features, as well as the GameSense and Self-Exclusion programs.”

The two NHL stars in a sports betting promo on Play Alberta (Image: PlayAlberta.ca )

Currently, Play Alberta is the only site authorized to accept wagers from residents, though it’s hoped the province will enter the regulated online gambling market in 2026 and allow private operators to obtain licences in the state.

It had been speculated that if Alberta does indeed open its digital doors, it might take a leaf out of Ontario’s book and ban the use of celebrities and athletes as brand ambassadors.

Though the use of Wolf and Draisaitl to promote sports betting on-site might indicate Alberta may choose to have more relaxed gambling marketing laws than Ontario.

Launching its own legal online gambling market in 2022, Ontario initially allowed the use of sports stars and similar as brand ambassadors to promote online casinos and sportsbooks.

However, this decision was reversed in February 2024.

Advertisers and operators carry on waiting

Should Alberta go ahead and legalize as expected, AGLC will be the market regulator so will have a hand in drafting marketing and advertising laws for operators, advertisers and affiliates to follow.

It had previously been speculated by many industry insiders that if Alberta opted to launch its iGaming market in Q1 2026, then guidance on advertising would need to be delivered to operators and advertisers by Fall.

Given the silence so far, this timeline now seems unlikely.

When asked if this ambassador campaign could be interpreted as a signal that Alberta may take a more flexible approach to gambling advertising than Ontario, Play Aberta's spokesperson added:

“Play Alberta is unable to comment on what the future market practices may look like in the province” 

Casinos.com also reached out to Service Alberta & Red Tape Reduction for clarification on when Alberta’s private iGaming market will open but did not get a response prior to publication.

The partnership between Play Alberta and Wolf and Draisaitl isn't entirely unexpected, as Play Alberta previously secured partnership deals with their respective teams. 

Last September, they announced an extension of the deal with the Oilers that included logo placement on their home jersey and also signed an insignia deal with the Flames. 

The extension also made Play Alberta the exclusive iGaming and sports betting partner of the Flames.

With over 434,000 registered player accounts, Play Alberta generated an estimated $275m in net sales in 2024-25, an increase of more than $35m from the previous year.

In total, Alberta generates $1.5 billion in legal gaming revenue every year, which gets sent to the province’s General Revenue Fund which supports various health, education and social services programs.