Alberta unveils regulated commercial market blueprint
Canadian province looks to follow Ontario’s lead in stepping away from monopoly model, with early 2026 launch suggested as most likely outcome
Alberta’s government has introduced the iGaming Alberta Act as the first legislative step to deliver a regulated, commercial online gambling market in the Canadian province.
Bill 48 would open up Alberta, which is solely served by monopoly lottery operator PlayAlberta, to commercial operators.
PlayAlberta is regulated by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), while the bill would designate the AGLC to manage the province’s expanded market.
Bill 48 would also establish the Alberta iGaming Corporation to oversee the operations of the regulated market.
The framework would be similar to that in fellow Canadian province Ontario, where the AGCO serves as the regulator and iGaming Ontario oversees the operational side of the industry.
The legislation has been put forward by Dale Nally, Alberta’s minister of service and red tape reduction.
The proposals passed the first reading yesterday, March 26. Bills in Alberta need to make it through a second reading, a committee of the whole session, and a third reading before receiving Royal Assent and being made into law.
Canadian Gaming Association CEO Paul Burns recently claimed that PlayAlberta is capturing just 20% of sports betting in the province.
Speaking on a press conference to announce the bill, Nally said that in 2024, PlayAlberta generated C$235m in profit.
However, journalists present at the press conference had been briefed that around 50% of Albertans who gamble do so with gray market sites.
Alberta’s sports betting market has been live since December 2021 under the monopoly model, but has faced increasing pressure to follow Ontario and switch to a commercial framework.
Speaking at the Canadian Gaming Summit last June, Nally said Alberta would follow the Ontario model.
There had been hopes Alberta – home to just over four million people – would launch the regulated market this year, but it appears a 2026 launch is the likeliest outcome.
During the press conference, Nally said he was “reluctant” to put a date on when the commercial market would be live.
Since Ontario launched in April 2022, the market has grown to 50 licensed operators. In January, the province reported record monthly revenue of C$327.9m.
Nally said: “Our goal is not to create new gamblers, but to make existing online gambling safer. As the gaming industry continues to evolve globally and in Alberta, it is important that we modernize Alberta’s approach to gaming to protect the health and safety of Albertans, particularly our youth.
“The legislation we are introducing, if approved, would take the first steps towards this.”
Burns said: “I would like to congratulate Minister Nally and the government of Alberta for successfully advancing this important piece of legislation.
“The industry is excited for this next step to bring an open and competitive igaming market to Alberta.”
Adam Kates, VP of compliance at live scoring and sports media app theScore, added: “We commend Premier [Danielle] Smith, Minister Nally and their teams on all their efforts to bring an open and competitive regulated online gaming marketplace to Alberta.
“We are fully supportive of a model that has proven to generate new revenue, protect consumers and shift wagering activity to the regulated market, and we’re confident that these benefits will be realized in Alberta.
“We look forward to supporting the process ahead and ultimately having an opportunity to introduce theScore Bet to Albertans.”