Alberta Launches Regulated iGaming Market With Poker Still Waiting
Twenty-three operators went live, but the province's poker rollout is still tied to Alberta-specific platforms and a possible liquidity deal with Ontario.
Alberta opened its regulated iGaming market on 13 July. Poker players did not get a live platform on day one, even though the broader market went live.
Pokerfuse reported in April that 13 July was the official launch date after a letter from Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Minister Dale Nally. The same report said online poker and DFS would likely stay fenced off until Alberta and Ontario sort out shared liquidity, a problem made sharper by the lack of a confirmed pool-sharing date.
According to Alberta’s iGaming phase 3 factsheet, Bill 48 passed in spring 2025 created the iGaming Alberta Act, amended the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act, created Alberta iGaming Corporation and made Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis the regulator. The rules set the minimum online betting age at 18 and, after January 2026 amendments, laid out the registration, advertising and social responsibility rules for the private market.
During the transition, operators can advertise and sign up customers, but they cannot add funds or take bets until they clear registration and due diligence with AGLC, sign a commercial agreement with AiGC and get launch notification. The factsheet also says Alberta is rolling out centralized self-exclusion, and people who self-exclude cannot enter an iGaming site or collect prizes. On revenue, 80% of net iGaming revenue goes to operators and 20% stays in the province for programs and services, while 2% of total gross gaming revenue, bets minus winnings and eligible deductions, goes to First Nations and 1% to social responsibility work.
Card Player reported 23 operators went live at midnight, with another 31 approved but waiting to launch. Brands pay a one-time $50,000 application fee, a $150,000 annual registration fee and a 20% tax on revenue, and Dale Nally framed the shift as channelizing play into the legal market.
PokerNews said Alberta’s launch made it Canada’s second regulated iGaming province after Ontario. The outlet also said PokerStars would keep its poker operation in Alberta after 13 July, while its casino and sportsbook products were expected to be removed; PartyPoker would stay until its Alberta platform launches; GGPoker did not apply for a licence and was no longer accessible in Alberta; and 888poker players could keep using the global site until an Alberta version arrives. It also noted Alberta has about 4.2 million residents, compared with Ontario’s 14 million, and that no shared-liquidity date has been confirmed.
CBC reported Nally estimated about 65% of online gambling in Alberta happens on black market sites, with the rest mostly on AGLC’s Play Alberta site. Critics, including University of Alberta student Kshef Kamran and Student Advocates for Public Health, said the bill did not go far enough on protection and pushed for a ban on iGaming advertising and a lower betting cap than $20,000.
Operators that need extra time can seek a case-by-case extension to 13 October, but by then they must either have Alberta-specific platforms live or leave the market.
