Alberta gives green light to online gambling sites starting Monday
Posted July 10, 2026 10:41 am.
Alberta will open its doors to private online gambling operators on Monday, marking a major shift in how the province regulates digital gaming and sports betting.
The move, enabled through Alberta’s new iGaming Act, creates a regulated market for private operators and makes Alberta only the second province in after Ontario to legalize commercial online gambling platforms.
The government says the change is aimed at boosting tax revenue and dismantling the “grey market,” which it estimates currently accounts for roughly 70 per cent of online gambling activity in the province.
Under the new system, Albertans will be able to place bets on some of the most recognizable gambling sites. They’ll also have access to a province-wide self‑exclusion tool that blocks them from all regulated platforms.
Advertising rules will also tighten, particularly around the use of athletes, who can no longer promote specific bets or games.
“They’re not allowed to suggest to somebody what they should be betting on, or that they should be playing certain casino games,” says Gaming News Canada editor-in-chief Steve McAllister. “The commercials they appear in are strictly focused on responsible gaming.”
He adds Albertans should expect a surge in advertising as companies enter the market.
The province will collect 20 per cent of profits from private operators, with Alberta’s First Nations guaranteed two per cent of all revenue.
Officials expect the financial impact to be significant. The government says the province’s PlayAlberta public gaming site generated $269 million in 2025, while Ontario’s open market brought in $2.9 billion.
McAllister says the government could use that revenue to counter concerns about increased access to legal gambling, including by funding mental‑health and addiction supports.
“The government has an opportunity to tell the story of that tax revenue being used to support mental health programs, addiction programs,” he says.
McAllister believes the move could pave the way for other provinces to follow suit.
