What Will Alberta Online Casinos Look Like After July 13 Launch?
Online casinos in Alberta become a reality on July 13 after the province relaxed its gaming regulations. PlayAlberta will soon have real competition in the online casino sphere from big hitters, including bet365 and BetMGM.
By opening its online casino market, Alberta becomes only the second Canadian province (after Ontario) to allow private operators.
Let’s look at what this means for players and the country.
At a Glance:
- Dozens of online casinos could launch after July 13
- Regulatory framework finally arrives in Alberta
- Casinos have enjoyed gray-area status for years
- Major casino operators confirmed for ‘Go’
Alberta online casinos: what we know so far
- Live Date: July 13, 2026
- Regulator: Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC)
- Number of Licenses: 35+
Despite its neighbors south of the border legalizing online casinos in 2012 (New Jersey), Canada has taken a steadier approach.
Province-run casinos existed only in British Columbia until Ontario regulated private operators in 2022. Manitoba and Quebec are among the provinces with government-run casino platforms.
Alberta took its baby steps into the world of online casino bonuses in 2020. PlayAlberta launched in October, with cash going directly to the province’s General Revenue Fund.
By 2023, PlayAlberta was processing billions of loonies in bets, though a successful gray area existed. Operators from outside Canada, such as bet365 Casino and BetMGM, continued to offer slots and table games to local players.
What the iGaming Alberta Act does
The iGaming Alberta Act (Bill 48) passed on May 15, 2025. With it, the AGLC was created as the industry’s regulator.
In January this year, the AGLC opened the books for online gambling sites such as BetMGM Casino to submit preliminary licensing applications.
Twenty-five casinos, many of which already operated in the U.S., entered the process. The July 13 launch will see 37 operators go live in Alberta, with possibly a dozen or more following suit later in the year.
Major online casino brands primed for an Alberta launch
- BetMGM
- Caesars
- BetRivers
- Bet365
- theScore Bet
- Stardust
Can Alberta online casinos be as lucrative as Ontario?
Those in charge of Alberta’s coffers will be hoping for a windfall on a scale seen in Ontario the past few years.
Gross gaming revenue in Ontario for online casino gambling rose 32% year over year in 2025 to $3.2 billion CAD. That figure came after just three years as a casino-friendly province and comfortably beat the $2.4 billion CAD earned 12 months earlier.
Key to the Ontario figures is the amount spent on casino games. Total casino spend in Ontario was just under $70 million CAD, compared to sports betting spend of around $11 billion CAD.
An end to gray-area gambling in Canada?
Alberta’s final push toward regulated casino gaming could see a complete end to unlicensed gambling in the province, and Canada as a whole.
Recent reports from the AGLC suggested that PlayAlberta had around a 45% share of the province’s market. That compared to just 22% for the Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC), which operates a single regulated online gaming site in the eastern provinces.
While Ontario also has province-run sites, having proper regulation means better oversight and proper taxation at the provincial level. Alberta will be hoping for similar results once operators go live on July 13.
