On 14 January 2026, Alberta officially launched registration for private operators to participate in the open market for gambling and sports betting. The AGLC regulator published the ‘Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming’ bulletin, setting out the key rules for operators.

The launch of the registration process marks a new stage in the development of Alberta’s gambling market. It creates prospects for private operators in the face of mounting interest in iGaming in Canada.

Licensing conditions and tax rates for Alberta operators

As Gaming News Canada has learned, an online briefing was held yesterday evening with Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally, his iGaming advisor Dan Keene, and more than a hundred industry representatives, including operators, land-based casinos, suppliers, lawyers, and lobbyists. Participants were presented with the updated provisions of the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act.

The Act proposes the following tax model: operators will receive 80% of the revenue from 97% of gross gaming revenue (GGR). From this, 3% will be deducted in advance to support indigenous peoples and 1% for social responsibility programmes.

Registration is only possible through the AGLC with a commercial agreement with the new Alberta iGaming Corporation. Registration fees have been set for iGaming operators and providers in Alberta:

• iGaming operators pay an annual fee of $150,000 and a one-time application fee of $50,000.
• Platform providers pay an annual fee of $15,000, with no application fee.
• Critical gaming system suppliers and other categories, such as e-wallet providers, sports data providers, independent integrity monitoring organisations, and accredited testing laboratories, pay only an annual fee of $3,000. Other goods and service providers are determined by the AGLC, operating under the same conditions.

The model is mainly similar to Ontario’s regulatory system, but in Alberta, operators will be integrated into a separate centralised AGLC self-exclusion programme.

Meanwhile, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is preparing to launch a centralised self-exclusion platform (CSE) for online gambling. The CSE will allow players in the Canadian province to exclude themselves from all regulated iGaming sites with a single application. The new platform will provide an additional level of security within the Internet Gaming Registrar’s standards.

Responsible business requirements

The official bulletin outlines the advertising rules and responsible business requirements separately. For example, registered operators are required to restrict access to players located in Alberta only. Systems must block participation if the location cannot be verified and must detect and prevent circumvention methods, such as VPNs, proxies, or hacked devices. They must also regularly recheck geolocation and record the results in a secure audit log.

Licensing in Alberta is expected to be a key topic of discussion at the ICE conference in Barcelona, where Dan Keene, Special Advisor to Minister Dale Nally on Gaming, will speak.

Legalisation of the grey market

The only regulated online gambling platform currently operating in Alberta is Play Alberta, which is run by the AGLC. However, many players use offshore sites that operate in the unregulated sector. On 9 May 2025, the Alberta Online Gambling Act was passed, allowing the province to regulate iGaming activities and open the market to private operators.

From 2024 onwards, the Alberta government held consultations on developing an optimal structure for an expanded online gaming market. The authorities are seeking to create a safer and more responsible gambling environment, as well as regain market share lost to illegal operators.

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