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Alberta's iGaming regulation, explained

Alberta opened a regulated, competitive online gambling market on July 13, 2026. Before that date, PlayAlberta — the government's own platform — was the only legal online option; private operators can now register and operate alongside it.

Sources for this page (8)
  • The iGaming Alberta Act (Statutes of Alberta 2025, chapter I-0.2) established the Alberta iGaming Corporation and the legal framework for a private iGaming market in Alberta; its provisions came into force in stages on June 4, 2025, January 13, 2026, and June 18, 2026. [1]
  • Alberta's regulated, competitive iGaming market officially launched on July 13, 2026. [2]
  • The Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) is the Crown corporation that oversees the iGaming market and signs commercial agreements with operators, while AGLC (Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis) is the market regulator responsible for registering operators and suppliers. [2], [1], [3]
  • A person must be registered as an iGaming supplier under section 49.2 of the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act before operating an iGaming site or providing goods or services to one in Alberta, subject to narrow exemptions such as iGaming workers. [3], [4], [5]
  • An operator must complete AGLC registration and due diligence, and then sign a commercial agreement with the Alberta iGaming Corporation, before it may accept deposits or take bets from Alberta players. [5], [6]
  • PlayAlberta, the government-run gambling site, continues to operate alongside the newly registered private operators. [7]
  • Alberta's Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming prohibit iGaming operators from offering sport and event betting on: political events (e.g. elections, by-elections, leadership contests); minor league sports in Canada, including the Canadian Hockey League (CHL); assets and financial markets (e.g. stocks, bonds, currencies, real property); bets that would expose a player to losses greater than the amount wagered; bets that mimic the structure of financial instruments, products or markets, including contracts for difference and spread betting; synthetic lottery products and bets on lottery outcomes; events involving animal fighting or cruelty; and bets that are 'reasonably objectionable' — defined to include bets on events that are unethical, that allow entertainment to be derived from human suffering or death, or that involve non-consensual violence or injury. [8]

Start here

The iGaming Alberta Act (Statutes of Alberta 2025, c. I-0.2) created the Alberta iGaming Corporation and the legal basis for private operators to enter the market. Its provisions came into force in stages, on June 4, 2025, January 13, 2026 and June 18, 2026. The Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act and its regulation set the underlying registration, advertising and player-protection rules that apply to everyone in the market.

Two different bodies, two different jobs

Two organizations share responsibility for the regulated market:

  • AGLC (Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis) is the regulator. It registers operators and suppliers and sets the standards they must meet. See AGLC's role.
  • AiGC (Alberta iGaming Corporation) is the Crown corporation that oversees the market and signs commercial agreements with operators. See what AiGC does.
  • PlayAlberta, the AGLC's own platform, continues to operate alongside the newly registered private operators.

Registration, in two steps

A person must register with the AGLC — under section 49.2 of the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act — before operating an iGaming site or supplying goods or services to one in Alberta, subject to narrow exemptions. Registration alone isn't enough to go live: an operator must also complete AGLC due diligence and then sign a commercial agreement with AiGC before it can accept deposits or bets from Alberta players.

What changed on July 13, 2026

Alberta's market moved from a single government-run platform to a registered, competitive market with multiple private operators. See the licence tracker for the current list of AGLC-registered operators, and the operator registry for status and product details brand by brand.

Prohibited bets

Alberta's Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming block registered sportsbooks from offering betting markets on:

  • political events (elections, by-elections, leadership contests)
  • minor league sports in Canada, including the Canadian Hockey League (CHL)
  • assets and financial markets (stocks, bonds, currencies, real property)
  • bets that could lose a player more than the amount wagered
  • bets that mimic financial instruments, including contracts for difference and spread betting
  • synthetic lottery products and bets on lottery outcomes
  • events involving animal fighting or cruelty
  • "reasonably objectionable" bets — events that are unethical, derive entertainment from human suffering or death, or involve non-consensual violence or injury

Sources

  1. Alberta King's Printer / Government of Alberta — iGaming Alberta Act, Statutes of Alberta 2025, Chapter I-0.2 (Office Consolidation, current as of June 18, 2026) Checked
  2. Government of Alberta — Alberta's iGaming Strategy Checked
  3. Alberta King's Printer / Government of Alberta — Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act, RSA 2000, Chapter G-1 (consolidated, includes 2025 c I-0.2 and 2026 amendments) Checked
  4. Alberta King's Printer / Government of Alberta — Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Regulation, AR 143/96 (Office Consolidation, up to AR 135/2026) Checked
  5. Government of Alberta (Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction) — Fact Sheet - Alberta iGaming Checked
  6. Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) — Operators | AiGC Checked
  7. Government of Alberta / AGLC — Play Alberta Checked
  8. Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) — Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming (SRIG) Checked
What each source supports
  • The iGaming Alberta Act (Statutes of Alberta 2025, chapter I-0.2) established the Alberta iGaming Corporation and the legal framework for a private iGaming market in Alberta; its provisions came into force in stages on June 4, 2025, January 13, 2026, and June 18, 2026. [1]
  • Alberta's regulated, competitive iGaming market officially launched on July 13, 2026. [2]
  • The Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) is the Crown corporation that oversees the iGaming market and signs commercial agreements with operators, while AGLC (Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis) is the market regulator responsible for registering operators and suppliers. [2], [1], [3]
  • A person must be registered as an iGaming supplier under section 49.2 of the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act before operating an iGaming site or providing goods or services to one in Alberta, subject to narrow exemptions such as iGaming workers. [3], [4], [5]
  • An operator must complete AGLC registration and due diligence, and then sign a commercial agreement with the Alberta iGaming Corporation, before it may accept deposits or take bets from Alberta players. [5], [6]
  • PlayAlberta, the government-run gambling site, continues to operate alongside the newly registered private operators. [7]
  • Alberta's Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming prohibit iGaming operators from offering sport and event betting on: political events (e.g. elections, by-elections, leadership contests); minor league sports in Canada, including the Canadian Hockey League (CHL); assets and financial markets (e.g. stocks, bonds, currencies, real property); bets that would expose a player to losses greater than the amount wagered; bets that mimic the structure of financial instruments, products or markets, including contracts for difference and spread betting; synthetic lottery products and bets on lottery outcomes; events involving animal fighting or cruelty; and bets that are 'reasonably objectionable' — defined to include bets on events that are unethical, that allow entertainment to be derived from human suffering or death, or that involve non-consensual violence or injury. [8]

Reviewed by Alberta Gambling Guide editorial teamUpdated Checked