The Canadian province of Alberta is set to launch a licensed but open online gambling market on July 13, 2026. This follows in the footsteps of New York’s Canadian neighbour Ontario, which did so in 2022.
So why is Alberta taking this step? What’s this new online gambling market going to look like? And what can New York’s gamblers, politicians and regulators learn from it?
Some 40 Brands Now Ready to Launch
The new market will be regulated by Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis, and iGaming Ontario. The AGLC sets regulation and overall market strategy, while iGaming Ontario is in charge of enforcing regulation and collecting taxes or shared revenue.
More than 40 online gambling brands have been conditionally approved for a license by the AGLC. Approved brands are already free to open their websites or apps for preregistration, which many have done.
Currently, to understand what’s available to them, gamblers look to comparative lists of Alberta online casinos like the one offered by Casino.org. These guides offer players the information on licensing, game selections, bonuses and payment options that they need to make an informed choice.
However, such sites will be changing their Alberta content when the new market launches. Their selections will reflect the newly regulated status and all the international operators that will be joining the sector. Thoroughly reviewing 70 or so operators is no small task, and that’s only one niche customer-facing part of the market – let alone the work that iGaming Alberta and the AGLC will be putting in to review applications and set up the new regulatory framework.
Will it Rival the Ontario or New York Markets?
The new Alberta market is expected to make revenues of around $750 million to $900 million a year, resulting in about $200 million a year in revenue sharing, taxes and other funding agreements from operators.
While the province only has around one third the population of Ontario and about a quarter that of New York State, it is, per capita, a relatively affluent region. The five million Albertans also have a proven appetite for offshore gambling, and the Edmonton Oilers NHL team currently operates one of the biggest game day prediction raffles in professional sports.
So how does $900 million a year in revenues compare? Well, Ontario’s online gambling market makes about $2.9 billion a year in revenue of which operators pay around $600 million a year in taxes. Which correlates with the population disparity.
The interesting comparison though is New York. The state only has legal online sports betting, not online casino gambling like in Ontario or soon-to-be Alberta. However, it still makes almost as much revenue – despite sports betting being far lower profit margins for operators. That can be seen in the huge $22 billion yearly spend (handle) by NY sports operators, of which sportsbook revenue is about $2 billion.
NY state also has a high 51% tax rate for sports betting operators. Almost no other market in the US could take that much without operators just leaving – but New York sports betting is incredibly popular, so operators find the consistent income worth the squeeze. That tax rate translates into just over a billion dollars a year in state tax revenue.
In sum Ontario’s jointly open casino and sports betting model will likely pull in more spend and tax revenue than all but the biggest US sports betting markets – and Alberta is likely to be up there too. However, in terms of sports betting popularity and tax revenues, almost nowhere touches New York state.
What are the Key Market Rules and Dates?
Among the well known international operators familiar to New York sports betting fans that will be launching online casinos in Alberta next month are US giants FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars and many more. The provincially-run PlayAlberta, whose failure to capture the offshore gambling market in the province was a key driver towards opening a regulated market, will continue to run alongside new private competition. Although speculation is that the Alberta government may put it up for sale.
Once the market launches, offshore operators supplying Albertan players without a license will be considered de facto illegal. Operators in the process of applying for a license will have until October 13 to get their affairs in order.
Other aspects of the market outside of regulation are now taking shape. For example Google has recently updated its search and gambling advertising policy to reflect the licensed market launch. Operators can submit proof of their AGLC license application to begin advertising pre-registration services now. They must also comply with geographic restrictions, meaning these adverts cannot be targeted at players in other Canadian provinces or territories outside of Alberta.
This was a big issue for lawmakers pushing for regulation. Some Alberta representatives have complained since 2022 that residents see TV and online gambling ads for Ontario-licensed companies, that aren’t currently available in the province. That situation will soon change, as many of the operators with Ontario licenses will be launching in Alberta on July 13.
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