North America’s biggest betting brands have gone live in Alberta as Canada’s second competitive iGaming province launches with 50 operators.
From today, July 13, commercial online casinos and sportsbooks are available to Albertans, making it the second Canadian province to open a full-scale competitive iGaming market after Ontario.
A total of 50 operators have been authorised under the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission’s (AGLC) uncapped model, with global and North American heavy-hitters FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, PointsBet, Rush Street Interactive and Bally’s leading the charge.
They are competing for a share of a market that H2 Gambling Capital projects will be worth CAN$1.2 billion (£633m) in GGR this financial year (April 2026-March 2027). And for the first full year of operation, FY28, this is forecast to climb to CAN$1.64 billion (£866m).
Comparatively, in 2025, Ontario’s–Canada’s only other legal competitive iGaming province–49 operators generated just over CAN$4 billion (£2.1bn) in non-adjusted gross gaming revenue.
However, Alberta’s market dynamics look likely to be very different.
Not only is Alberta’s operator count uncapped, but its population is much smaller, with around 5 million residents compared with Ontario’s 16.1 million, meaning the landscape is set to be fiercely competitive from day one.
In From The Dark
But Alberta isn’t starting from zero.
Since 2020, residents have had access to the state-run platform, PlayAlberta. However, the lack of competitive regulated options allowed a thriving offshore market to develop, with estimates varying between 70-88 percent of all spending occurring at unregulated sites.
To combat this, the AGLC introduced a transition window allowing offshore and grey-market operators to enter the regulated system. The move is designed to quickly bring existing consumers into the legal market while limiting consumer disruption.
Celebrations
DraftKings marked Alberta’s arrival with a launch celebration, describing it as the company’s 34th North American market – excluding DraftKings Predictions, obviously.
“We’re thrilled to launch DraftKings Sportsbook and DraftKings Casino, as well as Golden Nugget Online Gaming in Alberta and continue expanding our presence in Canada”, said Greg Karamitis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Sports at DraftKings.
“Alberta is home to a passionate sports fan base, and we’re excited to bring customers across the province our industry-leading sports betting and online casino experiences.
“Launching during one of the biggest moments in global sports, with the World Cup taking place across North America, makes this an especially exciting time to welcome Albertans to DraftKings.”
Local Impact
Beyond the launch-day headlines, operators are also clearly seeking to build strong relationships within local Alberta communities.
FanDuel’s General Manager for Canada, Dale Hooper, said that in tandem with delivering “a best-in-class entertainment experience”, the company was focused on meaningful community engagement.
Alongside its partnership with the Canadian Football League, FanDuel has donated CAN$50,000 (£26,389) to the A Dollar A Day Foundation to help bridge the gap between funding and frontline mental health programmes in Alberta.
The operator also supports the Canada Red Cross Emergency Management Program, which focuses on disaster relief.
DraftKings, meanwhile, sent employees to volunteer with Food Banks Alberta and donated CAN$150,000 (£79,168) to the organisation.
It remains unclear whether these community initiatives represent one-off launch gimmicks or are longer-term commitments.
And, more widely, whether Alberta’s smaller population can support the number of operators vying for their attention.
For now, what’s clear is that the next phase of Canada’s iGaming expansion is officially underway.
Happy launch day, Alberta!
