Canada's Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) has registered 47 operators cleared to launch in Canada's newest regulated online casino market on July 13: including freshly approved brands 888, operated by Evoke, and Hollywood Casino from PENN Entertainment. With under three weeks to go, Alberta is on track to become only the second Canadian province to host a competitive private iGaming market, modeled closely on Ontario's landmark 2022 framework.
Key Takeaways
- 47 operators have now completed AGLC registration, up from 43 on June 6, with brands including FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, bet365, Betway, PokerStars on FanDuel, 888, Hollywood Casino, and a number of Canadian-owned operators such as BET99, Delta iGaming, and River Cree iGaming, among those confirmed.
- All registrants must integrate with AGLC's centralized Self-Exclusion Program before go-live: a mandatory responsible gambling requirement that connects online exclusions to land-based casino venues across the province, setting a higher player-protection baseline than in some other regulated markets.
- The market has no operator cap, meaning the July 13 date is a starting gun rather than a ceiling: additional operators may continue to enter after launch, and the AGLC has confirmed the registration process remains open-ended.
Canada's Second Competitive iGaming Market
Alberta's regulated iGaming market has been years in the making. The iGaming Alberta Act (Bill 48) received Royal Assent on 15 May 2025, with the AGLC opening operator registrations on 13 January 2026. The province estimates approximately 70% of its online gambling activity currently flows through unregulated offshore platforms: a grey market the government aims to redirect by replicating Ontario's channelization success. Ontario moved roughly 80% of online gambling into its regulated market within the first few years of its April 2022 launch.
The regulatory framework is administered by two separate bodies. The AGLC handles operator registration, compliance, technical standards, and enforcement. The Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), a newly established commercial entity, manages revenue agreements, anti-money laundering obligations, and ongoing financial reporting. Every registered operator must complete both processes before accepting deposits or wagers on July 13.
What Operators Must Deliver at Launch
"The reality is simple: Albertans are already gambling online. The question was never whether online gambling existed. The question was whether it would happen in a regulated environment with strong standards, clear oversight, and meaningful player protections.": Dale Nally, Alberta's Minister of Service and Red Tape Reduction
Technical compliance requirements are substantive. Operators must integrate with the AGLC's centralized Self-Exclusion Program via API, undergo SOC 2 Type 1 attestation prior to go-live, and comply with Alberta-specific responsible gambling standards, including quarterly limit reminders and monthly financial activity statements sent to players: requirements that go beyond Ontario's framework.
Revenue terms follow an 80/20 net gaming revenue split in operators' favor, after a 3% GGR deduction directed to First Nations funding and social responsibility programs. Registration costs for each brand include a one-time CAN$50,000 application fee and an annual CAN$150,000 registration fee.
A Market Taking Shape Fast
PENN Entertainment has confirmed it plans to replicate its Ontario performance in Alberta, running Hollywood Casino, theScore Bet, and theScore Casino as separate brands: backed by theScore's media app, which has comparable user numbers in Alberta and Ontario. Evoke's 888 already operates online casino, sports betting, and poker in Ontario. Apollo Entertainment has secured approval for seven brands, giving it the largest registered footprint of any single operator group in the province.
Canadian-owned operators are also prominent. River Cree iGaming: backed by the Enoch Cree Nation, which operates the River Cree Resort and Casino near Edmonton: represents a First Nations entry into the digital market, a dimension Alberta's government has actively encouraged. Indigenous gaming company IGP, through Pure Casino Entertainment, has also been approved.
With H2 Gambling Capital projecting the market to generate over CAN$1.64 billion in onshore GGR in its first full year of operation, Alberta's July 13 launch date is shaping up as one of the most consequential new casino market openings in the world this year.
Sources: Legal Sports Report, Canadian Gaming Business, NewCasinoRank