Canada’s super wealthy Alberta province is on the verge of joining the nation’s competitive iGaming scene, with operators lining up to secure a first-mover advantage in a market projected to be worth CAN$1.2 billion (£656m) in GGR in the next fiscal year.
Since applications opened on January 13, the oil-rich province’s regulatory Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) commission has received 39 expressions of interest from operators – the first step in gaining approval.
BetRivers and PointsBet have already confirmed registrations and opened player pre-registration.
Registration costs for operators are a one-time application charge of CAN$50,000 (£27,444) and an annual registration fee of CAN$150,000 (£82,325).
Annual fees for suppliers vary by subcategory, either CAN$15,000 (£8,232) or CAN$3,000 (£1,646)..
Taxes have been set at 20 percent.
Once an operator has registered, they can launch pre-registration for players and advertise but they cannot accept bets or deposits.
Other major iGaming brands–including FanDuel, DraftKings and Betway–are preparing for a Q2 market launch in Alberta, which will be only the second of Canada’s 10 provinces and three territories to regulate iGaming.
Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, home to some 40 percent of the nation’s 41.5 million people, opened its highly-successful online gambling market on April 4, 2022, initially with 12 operators, now grown to 49.
Early Advantage
Speaking exclusively to iGamingFuture, the AGLC said: “We can’t comment on the specific status of individual operators who have registered in Alberta.
“[But] we can tell you that as of February 20, 39 operators had submitted expressions of interest and 79 gaming/service providers [also contacted us].
“The expressions of interest are the beginning of the registration process.
“It continues with operators and suppliers submitting all the appropriate documentation to AGLC before AGLC refers them to the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) to finalise the registration with the stakeholder,” the AGLC spokesperson told me.”
“Canada continues to be a priority growth market for BetRivers, and Alberta represents an exciting next step”, said Richard Schwartz, CEO at Rush Street Interactive.
Scott Vanderwel, CEO of PointsBet Canada, added: “Alberta’s move toward an open, competitive iGaming framework is a positive step for Canadian players, [offering] more choice and consumer protections in a safe, regulated environment.”
Speaking with iGF, FanDuel also confirmed it is seeking regulatory approval in Alberta.
“FanDuel Canada is excited and encouraged by the progress we have seen to create a regulated iGaming market in Alberta,” Tom Burdakin, Vice President of Marketing at FanDuel Canada told iGF.
“We are proud to be operating responsibly in Ontario from 2022 and are pursuing registration in Alberta.”
Operators Point To Q2 Launch
While no formal launch date has been announced, the AiGC has pointed to a spring or summer launch, and so have operators.
Super Group, Betway’s parent company, included Alberta in its Q2 2026 earnings projections, suggesting an April, May, or June launch.
And it is not the only heavyweight operator signalling entrance in Q2.
DraftKings CEO Jason Robins explained during last month’s Q4 2025 results that funds had been allocated for an Alberta launch.
Robins felt certain enough to say that the launch was “just around the corner”, and Alberta projections were included in DraftKings’ upcoming earnings forecast.
Rush Street Interactive CEO Richard Schwartz also told shareholders on Feb 17 that the market launch is coming “sooner than they previously anticipated” and that “Alberta could go live before the end of June”.
Adding to speculation, Alberta’s Minister of Service and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally has noted some temporary regulations expire in mid-July, suggesting a launch before that point would be preferable.
Billion Dollar Opportunity
Speaking with iGF, H2 Gambling Capital said that, based on current indicators, they project a late June or early July market launch.
According to their analysis, Alberta’s commercial onshore iGaming market (online betting, gaming and lottery) is expected to generate a total onshore GGR of CAN$1.2 billion (£656m) in FY27.
This compares to just CAN$269 million (£147.1m) in FY26, with onshore channelisation in FY27 increasing to 76 percent. That’s up from 32 percent in FY26 prior to regulation.
Alberta’s FY27 runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.
For FY28–likely Alberta’s first full year of regulated iGaming–H2 Gambling Capital expects the market to generate over CAN$1.64 billion (£896m) in onshore GGR, with channelisation rising to 84 percent.
Other operators reportedly targeting Alberta include Entain and MGM Resorts’ joint venture BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook and Casino, and PENN Entertainment’s theScore Bet.
Like Ontario, Canada’s only other competitive iGaming market, Alberta will not cap the number of operators, leaving brands to compete for their slice of the market.
And so the great, much-touted, Alberta iGaming race is finally on.
Stay tuned for updates.
