Alberta’s regulated online gambling market has expanded to 50 licensed websites operated by 29 companies, more than doubling its initial size as the province begins enforcing restrictions on unlicensed betting platforms following the October 13 transition deadline.
Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) CEO Dan Keene told Canadian Gaming Business that another 10 to 15 sites could launch before the end of 2026, bringing the total to as many as 65. The market opened to private operators on July 13 with 22 websites.
The expansion includes brands such as BetMGM, Bet365, DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars and Golden Nugget, which now compete with government-owned Play Alberta, previously the province’s only authorized online gambling platform.
Several companies operate multiple brands. Apollo Entertainment has seven websites, Super Group has five, including Betway, and Skill On Net operates four, including PlayOJO. Caesars Entertainment and PENN Entertainment each have three platforms, while DraftKings owns Golden Nugget Online Casino and Bally’s operates Monopoly.
Under Alberta’s regulatory framework, 20% of net revenue from approved platforms goes to the province’s General Revenue Fund. Another 3% of gross gaming revenue is reinvested, with 2% allocated to First Nations and 1% to social responsibility initiatives.
The October 13 deadline ended a three-month grace period allowing previously unregulated operators to complete registration. Companies without approval must now stop accepting wagers from Alberta customers, although they can continue operating elsewhere and pursue provincial authorization. Violations could result in operators being permanently declared unsuitable for registration by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC).
“If you’ve been operating in Alberta in the grey, whatever you want to call it, and now you are not part of the established regulated market, you are offside,” Keene said. He described operators’ response to regulation as “a very good response.”
The transition was intended to minimize consumer disruption while allowing companies to implement requirements such as age and geographic verification. Before regulation, approximately 70% of Alberta’s online gambling activity occurred through grey-market platforms.
Keene said AiGC would share compliance intelligence with AGLC, which would be “bringing a force to bear from a regulatory standpoint.”
“It’s very much a partnership between AIGC and AGLC,” Keene said. “I remain extremely confident in terms of the type of compliance measures AGLC will be implementing.”
At September’s Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, iGaming Minister Dale Nally said authorities would “go as hard as we can against that illicit market.”
Meanwhile, BetMGM reported stronger per-player metrics in Alberta than during its Ontario launch. Chief Financial Officer Gary Deutsch said Alberta accounted for 20% of the company’s new players during the third quarter.
“The market opened on July 13. Here we are, three months later, and we’ve got 50 websites,” Keene said. “What that tells me is that the market was here for decades, operating in Alberta.”
Alberta’s October 19 separation referendum is not expected to immediately affect iGaming regulations. Polls favored remaining in Canada, while a vote supporting separation would only initiate a multi-year process, with regulatory implications dependent on eventual independence.