Alberta officially opened its regulated iGaming market on July 13, introducing a new framework for online gambling and renewing questions about how much gambling advertising residents are likely to see.
Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) CEO Dan Keene has acknowledged that advertising has increased since the market opened. However, he has argued that the rise should be understood in the context of a newly competitive market rather than assumed to represent the long-term level of gambling advertising in the province.
Alberta’s iGaming Launch and the Advertising Debate
Concerns about gambling advertising have featured prominently in discussions surrounding Alberta’s regulated market.
Similar concerns emerged after Ontario launched its regulated iGaming market in April 2022, when sportsbook and casino advertising became increasingly visible across television, digital media and sports broadcasts.
Alberta entered the regulated market several years later, giving provincial authorities an opportunity to observe Ontario’s experience and consider how its own advertising and consumer-protection rules should operate.
Keene has also noted that Albertans were already exposed to advertising from gambling companies operating elsewhere in Canada before Alberta’s regulated market opened. The launch has nevertheless introduced additional competition for Alberta customers, increasing the amount of province-specific marketing.
What Keene Said About Advertising
In a July 2026 interview with Canadian Gaming Business, Keene acknowledged that Alberta was seeing increased gambling advertising following the market’s launch.
He described the increase as a common feature of newly regulated markets, where operators compete intensely for customers during the opening stages.
Among the factors affecting advertising levels are:
- the number of operators entering the regulated market;
- competition for customers during the launch period; and
- marketing campaigns designed to establish brand recognition in a new jurisdiction.
Keene suggested that advertising activity may decline as the market matures, noting that other regulated markets have experienced changes in promotional intensity over periods ranging from several months to a few years.
That remains an expectation rather than a guarantee. Advertising levels in Alberta will ultimately depend on operator behaviour, regulatory enforcement and any future changes to provincial rules.
Consumer Protection Is a Shared Responsibility
The growth of regulated online gambling also places greater importance on consumer protection.
Individual players can take practical precautions, including setting spending limits, monitoring the amount of time and money spent gambling, and using self-exclusion or other responsible-gambling tools when necessary.
However, responsibility does not rest solely with players.
Operators are expected to comply with licensing requirements, advertising standards and responsible-gambling obligations, while regulators are responsible for enforcing those rules and responding when market practices create concerns.
Players assessing an online gambling site should distinguish between regulatory information and third-party editorial material. Official provincial sources are the appropriate place to confirm whether an operator is authorized to operate in Alberta, while resources such as online casino reviews by Maple Casino may provide additional information about casino features and policies. Third-party reviews should not be treated as substitutes for licensing information supplied by regulators.
What Ontario’s Experience May Mean for Alberta
Alberta has the benefit of observing several years of experience from Ontario, Canada’s first province to introduce a broad regulated competitive iGaming market.
Ontario has adjusted elements of its regulatory approach since its 2022 launch, including rules governing gambling advertising and the use of athletes and other public figures in promotional campaigns.
Alberta’s government says its iGaming strategy is intended to move players toward regulated operators while introducing consumer safeguards and oversight.
One measure regulators will watch is channelization: the proportion of gambling activity taking place through regulated rather than unregulated operators.
Higher channelization can indicate that more players are using platforms subject to provincial rules, consumer-protection requirements and regulatory oversight. It does not, however, eliminate concerns about gambling harm or advertising exposure, making continued monitoring important.
AiGC Plans to Monitor Public Response
Keene has said AiGC intends to use surveys and focus groups to understand how Albertans view the regulated market as it develops.
That could include public attitudes toward advertising, perceptions of consumer protection and broader views about whether the regulatory system is functioning as intended.
Such feedback may become increasingly important as the market develops. Advertising practices that appear acceptable during an initial launch period may attract greater scrutiny if promotional volumes remain high or if evidence emerges that particular groups are being disproportionately affected.
Alberta’s regulated iGaming market is still in its early stages, and it is too soon to know whether the current level of advertising will persist.
Keene’s comments suggest AiGC expects promotional activity to moderate as competition stabilizes. Whether that happens will depend on the conduct of operators, the effectiveness of regulatory oversight and the response of Albertans themselves.
For now, the province’s experience will provide another test of how Canada can balance a competitive regulated gambling market with meaningful advertising standards and consumer protections.