First 35 Licensed iGaming Operators in Alberta Officially Confirmed

The deadline for Alberta’s iGaming launch is just days away, and at the end of May we got a first list of confirmed operators who have obtained licenses. The gaming registrations form has Critical Gaming Systems Providers, Platform Providers, Goods or Services Suppliers, and iGaming Operators – the latter of whom will gain the most interest. The first rumors started spreading over 2 months ago, back in March when key operators like PointsBet, BetRivers and theScore launched preregistration for players.

Back then, none were officially confirmed by Albertan authorities to have obtained licenses, but that has now changed. Those operators, alongside the likes of Bet99, Betwau, BetVictor, Ruby Fortune, and many US sportsbooks like DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars and BetMGM, have obtained all the necessary permissions to go live in Alberta from July 13 onwards. This lineup of operators looks arguably stronger than the one Ontario had back in 2022, and hints at a massive iGaming market in Alberta.

Officially Confirmed Operators in Alberta

The date is set, July 13, and players need no longer wait. They can already signup already via the Alberta sportsbook preregistration forms, and some books have rewards for early registering players. And now, Alberta has officially confirmed a preliminary list of registered iGaming operators. There will be 35 online casinos and sportsbook operators going live in Alberta from July 13. This includes the state-run PlayAlberta, which held the gambling monopoly in Alberta until the province decided to dismantle the gambling monopoly. This is a trend that is quite strong in Europe too, with Finland deconstructing its Veikkaus-run gambling monopoly in July, and just recently a leaked iGaming bill draft indicated Austria would ditch its gambling monopoly too.

Back to Alberta, the operator lineup is very impressive. Alberta has successfully captivated all the big firms across the US and internationally, as well as a handful of local iGaming operators who are also in Ontario. Among the big brands, Albertans will have:

• Bally’s
• BetMGM
• Caesars
• DraftKings
• FanDuel
• BetRivers
• Betway
• Golden Nugget
• Bet365
• PointsBet
• theScoreBet

For a total of 35 operators. The list of approved operators also includes their address, and Alberta does not require any iGaming licensees to have a physical base in the province. However, some have already set up a base of operations locally, with

• FanDuel Canada ULC (Calgary)
• Goldrush Alberta Ltd (Edmonton)

Then, the landbased Canadian casino franchise, Pure Casino, and the Edmonton casino resort, River Cree, have also obtained licenses for online casinos.

Alberta Gaming Rules and Player Protection

Alberta is being dubbed Ontario 2.0, and the regulatory setup is one that seems to have learned the early teething lessons of Ontario, while picking up on its successes. For instance, the new Alberta iGaming market has largely copied the open-market framework, not applying any limits on the number of operators nor licenses, and opened the doors to sports betting, casino gaming, and potentially even DFS platforms. Peer to peer games have not yet been determined, and bingo and lottery products are not going to be allowed. Save for the lottery products at PlayAlberta, which will continue to run even after the state-run monopoly is ended.

Licensing fees and registration for operators will not break the bank, although it will be more expensive to run an online casino in Alberta than in Ontario. The annual licensing fees are $150,000 in Alberta, whereas in Ontario they are just $100,000. The base tax rate is the same, at 20%, but Alberta will also have additional tax schemes to benefit the First Nations and make money for responsible gambling organizations.

For players, you can expect the same KYC requirements, game integrity rules, and responsible gambling standards. The latter will also extend to self exclusion programs like in Ontario, reality checks, and voluntary deposit limits.

Comparisons to the Early Ontario Market

Alberta has an official count of 35 iGaming operators, compared to the 44 operators and 77 live sites in Ontario right now. It is definitely gaining more steam than Ontario did back in 2022 when the market launched, but Ontario was the real pioneer here. Breaking ranks with other Canadian provinces, Ontario was the first to open its iGaming launch. Now, it is one of the most highly praised iGaming sectors in the world, with excellent player safety protocols, fair compliance costs for operators, and a competitive scene for operators to break ground in.

But it has not worked for all. While every now and again a new operator joins the Ontario iGaming scene, there have also been a handful of firms that have left Ontario too. Most notably, William Hill back in 2022 and Unibet in 2024. The main problem for operators in Ontario is that they have extremely strict bonus marketing rules, which makes it difficult for foreign or emerging platforms to win over new customers. William Hill and Unibet are anything but smaller brands though, they are well established and popular abroad. But it is not all about prestige – learning the Canadian sports betting preferences and iGaming tastes is a big part of winning customers in Ontario.

Alberta, it seems, won’t go as far with its gambling advertising laws as Ontario, which could build confidence in operators joining the scene. It shares many of the same operators as Ontario, and while Alberta’s list of licensed operators is a bit shorter than the official list in Ontario, it is quite a considerable start for the province. At this trajectory, there is even a possibility of Alberta overtaking Ontario in licensed operator numbers.

Importance of Alberta iGaming Market

Alberta may be the fourth most populous province in Canada, with just under 5 million inhabitants. But it is one of the highest in Canada for average household income and disposable income, making it a highly promising prospect for gamblign operators. Up until now, the state run PlayAlberta held the monopoly on gambling, but it was desperately failing to capture the market. The Government of Alberta released a statement earlier this year that claimed around 70% of the market share belonged to unregulated operators.

The upcoming regulated market is estimated to generate over $700 million a year for the government, growing up to over $109 million by 2028-29, up from ~$323 million that was collected back in 2025. Also, this move could also act as a precedent for other Canadian provinces. Because British Columbia, the Atlantic provinces and Quebec all use single gambling operator structures, and unlicensed operators are driving the majority of the action. In total, Canada is estimated to have a $9.5 billion iGaming market worth, which would make it the third largest iGaming market in the world. And the black market is growing at a much faster rate than the regulated one.

What Happens Next

Now, the Alberta iGaming launch is weeks away, and the lineup of operators and software suppliers looks like the province is going to give Ontario a good chase. The one big downside is that Alberta will just miss out on the FIFA World Cup, which will be partially hosted in Canada. This is without a doubt the single event with the highest activity of soccer betting, and as this year’s World Cup will feature an extended 104 games, it looks set to shatter all kinds of records. Alberta’s iGaming launch will arrive just a day before the semifinals will take place. So after the last games in Canada (July 7 – Games 96 in the Round of 16, which will be hosted in Vancouver).

Though with the preregistration and early traffic, the revenue could quickly hit all new time highs for Alberta as the World Cup final will take place on July 19. In those days between the launch and the final, there is time enough for players to stake their bets, possibly using up any welcome bonuses or signup incentives to take advantage of the timing.

There is little chance that the Canucks will make it to the final – such would be a fairytale come true and a perfect opportunity for Albertans to get behind the hype at their newly launched sportsbooks. But following the World Cup, there is the NHL 2026-27 season kicking off in October, where NHL betting on the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames is expected to take off. Then, there is the ongoing CFL season that will culminate with the Grey Cup in November, and the NFL season will start in September. Basically, there are more than enough outlets for Albertans to test these new platforms, and if this new relationship hits the ground running, it could serve as an example both to the rest of Canada, and to operators looking for a new and competitive market to break into.