Legal gambling age in Alberta

Reviewed by Alberta Gambling Guide editorial teamUpdated 15 Oct 2026Checked 9 Oct 2026

The legal gambling age in Alberta is 18. You must be 18 or older to gamble online, to go into a casino or racing entertainment centre, to buy lottery tickets, to play bingo and to play VLTs, so the casino age in Alberta is the same as the online and lottery age. The Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act defines a "minor" as anyone under 18, and no minor may enter, remain on, or play on an iGaming site, nor may anyone help a minor do so.

Sources for this page (9)

The minimum age to gamble on an iGaming site in Alberta is 18; the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act defines a 'minor' as a person under 18 years of age. [1], [2]
No minor may enter or remain on an iGaming site or engage in iGaming activity in Alberta, and no person may permit or facilitate a minor's iGaming activity, under section 49.3 of the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act. [1]
AGLC's casino and racing entertainment centre operating guidelines treat a minor as a person under 18: minors are not permitted inside a casino facility or a racing entertainment centre unless the facility licence permits minors, and staff must refuse entry to anyone they are not satisfied is at least 18 (photo ID is checked when a person appears to be under 25). [3], [4]
Since AGLC's 19 March 2026 bulletin, a casino or racing entertainment centre whose licence carries a minors endorsement may let minors pass through to a minors-allowed restaurant, event centre or recreational facility; minors may not work on the gaming floor and must be escorted by an adult to and from a Class A Minors Allowed restaurant. [5]
AGLC requires lottery retailers to ensure minors (under 18) cannot purchase, play or receive a prize payment for lottery ticket products under any circumstances; retailers must obtain valid government-issued identification and verify proof of age whenever a person who appears to be under 25 tries to buy, play or collect a prize. [6]
A minor (under 18) is prohibited from playing bingo, pull tickets or KENO in an Alberta licensed commercial bingo facility, and minors are not permitted in a licensed bingo facility that offers e-daubers; staff must verify proof of age with valid identification whenever a person who appears to be under 25 tries to buy or play bingo cards, pull tickets or KENO. [7]
No person under 18 is permitted to play video lottery terminals (VLTs) in Alberta. [8]
Registered iGaming operators must ensure games are provided only within Alberta and that only players physically located in Alberta can participate; the gaming system must block play when location cannot be verified, detect and block location-evasion methods (known VPNs/proxies, remote desktop, virtualization), and periodically re-verify player location. [9]
Under the Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming, an individual is not eligible to hold or use an Alberta iGaming player account if they are under 18, are in a self-exclusion process that applies to the site, are known to be restricted from the site by a court order, are a legally or self-excluded person otherwise determined inadmissible, or are an officer, board member or partner of the operator or an employee of a registered iGaming supplier. Before an account can be created, the operator must collect and validate the player's full legal name and date of birth against FINTRAC-compliant government-issued identification (a provincial health card is not an acceptable form of ID), a FINTRAC-compliant physical address, and contact information, plus any information required by anti-money-laundering law. [9]

Gambling age in Alberta by type: casinos, lottery, bingo, VLTs and online

Where you gamble	Minimum age	What the rule says
Online casinos and sportsbooks	18	No minor may enter, remain on or play on an iGaming site
Casinos	18	Minors (under 18) are not permitted inside unless the facility licence permits minors
Racing entertainment centres	18	Minors (under 18) are not permitted inside unless the facility licence permits minors
Lottery tickets	18	Retailers must ensure a minor cannot buy, play or receive a prize payment
Bingo	18	A minor cannot play bingo, pull tickets or KENO
VLTs	18	No person under 18 may play video lottery terminals

Casino, racing entertainment centre, bingo and lottery staff must check government-issued ID when someone appears to be under 25, and a casino or racing entertainment centre must refuse entry to anyone it isn't satisfied is at least 18. To find a venue, see our list of casinos in Alberta.

A casino or racing entertainment centre whose licence carries a minors endorsement can admit minors on a narrow basis. Under AGLC's March 2026 bulletin, minors may enter to reach a minors-allowed restaurant, event centre or recreational facility inside the building. Minors may not work on the casino or racing entertainment centre floor, and must be escorted by an adult to and from a Class A Minors Allowed restaurant.

Gambling age by province and territory

Alberta sets 18, but the age is not the same everywhere. Of the 10 jurisdictions in the table, Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec set 18 and British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, and Northwest Territories set 19 for the activities listed. Each row is read from an official provincial or territorial source (the government, its regulator or its lottery operator), last checked 9 Oct 2026.

Province or territory	Minimum age	What the rule covers	Official source
Alberta	18	Online gaming, casinos, racing entertainment centres, lottery tickets, bingo and VLTs	Act · casinos · racing centres · lottery · bingo · VLTs
British Columbia	19	Casinos, lottery tickets, online gambling and charitable gambling	BC Government
Manitoba	18	Provincial gaming (s. 98 bars minors; The Interpretation Act defines a minor as under 18)	Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act · Interpretation Act
Ontario	19	Online gaming sites regulated by the AGCO, including iGaming Ontario. At 18: a person aged 18 may use a gaming site solely to buy a lottery ticket.	AGCO · iGaming Ontario
Quebec	18	Admission to the Casino de Montréal, including its bars and restaurants, and the sale of lottery products (both as stated by Loto-Québec)	Casino de Montréal · Loto-Québec history
Nova Scotia	19	Casinos (entry and play) and lottery tickets	Casino Regulations · Atlantic Lottery Regulations
Prince Edward Island	19	Lottery tickets and pari-mutuel tickets	Lotteries Commission Act
Newfoundland and Labrador	19	Video lottery terminals only (the one rule we could source)	Video Lottery Regulations
Saskatchewan	19	Online gaming on PlayNow.com (land-based casinos not sourced). At 18: Sask Lotteries describes lottery tickets as for adults aged 18 and older.	Government of Saskatchewan · Sask Lotteries
Northwest Territories	19	The casino area of a casino lottery (Lotteries Regulations s. 60). At 18: lotteries run by the Western Canada Lottery Corporation are open from 18 (Western Canada Lottery Regulations s. 6(2)).	Lotteries Regulations · Western Canada Lottery Regulations

Where can you gamble at 18?

In the table, the general minimum is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec. Elsewhere the sourced exceptions are narrower:

Ontario: a person aged 18 may use a gaming site solely to buy a lottery ticket.
Saskatchewan: Sask Lotteries describes lottery tickets as for adults aged 18 and older.
Northwest Territories: lotteries run by the Western Canada Lottery Corporation are open from 18 (Western Canada Lottery Regulations s. 6(2)).

New Brunswick, Yukon and Nunavut are not in the table because we have not yet confirmed their age from an official page. Check the provincial or territorial regulator before you play there.

Who else can't open an account

Beyond the age rule, Alberta's Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming block account creation for:

anyone in a self-exclusion process that applies to the site
anyone known to be restricted from the site by a court order
anyone legally or self-excluded, or otherwise determined inadmissible
officers, board members or partners of the operator itself
employees of a registered iGaming supplier

Identity checks at registration

Before an account can be created, the operator must collect and validate, against FINTRAC-compliant government-issued identification:

Required at registration	Note
Full legal name	Must match the ID exactly
Date of birth	Matched to the ID
Physical address	A legal land description is also accepted; a provincial health card is not acceptable ID
Contact information	Valid email and phone number
Anti-money-laundering information	As required by federal law (PCMLTFA)

Location, separately from age

Being 18+ isn't enough on its own — you also need to be physically located in Alberta at the time of play. Registered operators must block play when location can't be verified and must detect known VPN, proxy or remote-desktop evasion. See is online gambling legal in Alberta? for how the age and location rules fit into legality overall, and how to tell a registered site from an offshore one — offshore sites don't apply these checks the same way.

If gambling is causing problems for you or someone you know, see responsible gambling support in Alberta for helplines and the self-exclusion program.

Once you meet both rules, you can compare registered platforms in our rankings of the best Alberta online casinos and legal Alberta sports betting sites.

Sources

What each source supports

The minimum age to gamble on an iGaming site in Alberta is 18; the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act defines a 'minor' as a person under 18 years of age. [1], [2]
No minor may enter or remain on an iGaming site or engage in iGaming activity in Alberta, and no person may permit or facilitate a minor's iGaming activity, under section 49.3 of the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act. [1]
AGLC's casino and racing entertainment centre operating guidelines treat a minor as a person under 18: minors are not permitted inside a casino facility or a racing entertainment centre unless the facility licence permits minors, and staff must refuse entry to anyone they are not satisfied is at least 18 (photo ID is checked when a person appears to be under 25). [3], [4]
Since AGLC's 19 March 2026 bulletin, a casino or racing entertainment centre whose licence carries a minors endorsement may let minors pass through to a minors-allowed restaurant, event centre or recreational facility; minors may not work on the gaming floor and must be escorted by an adult to and from a Class A Minors Allowed restaurant. [5]
AGLC requires lottery retailers to ensure minors (under 18) cannot purchase, play or receive a prize payment for lottery ticket products under any circumstances; retailers must obtain valid government-issued identification and verify proof of age whenever a person who appears to be under 25 tries to buy, play or collect a prize. [6]
A minor (under 18) is prohibited from playing bingo, pull tickets or KENO in an Alberta licensed commercial bingo facility, and minors are not permitted in a licensed bingo facility that offers e-daubers; staff must verify proof of age with valid identification whenever a person who appears to be under 25 tries to buy or play bingo cards, pull tickets or KENO. [7]
No person under 18 is permitted to play video lottery terminals (VLTs) in Alberta. [8]
Registered iGaming operators must ensure games are provided only within Alberta and that only players physically located in Alberta can participate; the gaming system must block play when location cannot be verified, detect and block location-evasion methods (known VPNs/proxies, remote desktop, virtualization), and periodically re-verify player location. [9]
Under the Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming, an individual is not eligible to hold or use an Alberta iGaming player account if they are under 18, are in a self-exclusion process that applies to the site, are known to be restricted from the site by a court order, are a legally or self-excluded person otherwise determined inadmissible, or are an officer, board member or partner of the operator or an employee of a registered iGaming supplier. Before an account can be created, the operator must collect and validate the player's full legal name and date of birth against FINTRAC-compliant government-issued identification (a provincial health card is not an acceptable form of ID), a FINTRAC-compliant physical address, and contact information, plus any information required by anti-money-laundering law. [9]

How old do you have to be to gamble in Alberta?

You must be 18 or older. That is the minimum age online, at casinos and racing entertainment centres, for lottery tickets, for bingo and for VLTs, and there is no exception for parental consent.

What is the gambling age at an Alberta casino?

The age is 18. Minors (under 18) are not permitted inside a casino unless the facility licence permits minors, and staff check photo ID when someone appears to be under 25.

Is the gambling age in Alberta 18 or 19?

It is 18 in Alberta. The general minimum is 19 in British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, and Northwest Territories, though Ontario, Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories have narrower exceptions at 18. See "Where can you gamble at 18?" above.

What is the gambling age in Canada?

Each province and territory sets its own. Among those we have sourced, the general minimum is 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec and 19 in British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan, and Northwest Territories, with narrower exceptions at 18 in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories (see "Where can you gamble at 18?" above). New Brunswick, Yukon and Nunavut are not sourced yet. The table above shows what each rule covers.

Can a 17-year-old open an account with parental permission?

No. The 18+ rule has no parental-consent exception under Alberta's iGaming rules.

Does a provincial health card work as ID for registration?

No — the Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming specifically exclude provincial health cards as acceptable identification for iGaming account registration.

What happens if my location can't be verified?

Registered operators must block play, not just flag it, when a player's location can't be confirmed as Alberta.