18 months on from the announcement that Alberta would be following Ontario down regulation road, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) has officially opened its iGaming license procurement process.
Many will remember the excitement surrounding Minister Dale Nally’s address at the Canadian Gaming Summit in 2024, which confirmed that Alberta would be the second province to formally regulate online gambling.
Indeed, following the success of the regulated Ontario market, any excitement would be well justified and now – despite some lengthy delays – it would seem Alberta is gearing up for a 2026 launch following the new iGaming operator applicant registration guide accessible on the AGLC website.
Registration in the nation
Since the AGLC owns and operates the current monopoly gaming operator in the province, PlayAlberta, the province is set to open the market under a dual-registration licensing process. Prospective operators must therefore now register with both the AGLC and the newly incepted Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC).
The AiGC is set to enforce AML laws and oversee commercial agreements, public complaints, financial reporting and more upon the opening of the market, acting as what would appear to be the primary regulator. Elsewhere, the AGLC is set to oversee technological certifications and operate the province’s centralized self-exclusion program.
Both iGaming operator and services supplier licenses are now open to applications in Alberta, with the AGLC specifying that all operators will be required to integrate with its self-exclusion program.
Fees and details
Licensing fees in the province will require iGaming operators to pay a one-time application fee of CA$50,000 (US$36,000) alongside an annual registration fee of $150,000, while suppliers will pay a CA$15,000 annual registration fee or a CA$3,000 registration for alternative goods and services.
Overall revenue recorded by the market will be subject to a 3% governmental reduction, with 2% to be utilized for First Nations funding and 1% for social responsibility initiatives. The remaining NGR will be subject to an 80/20 split – 80% to operators. However, as of yet, no date has been outlined for the formal launch of the Alberta market.
Alberta vs Ontario
Upon the announcement that Alberta would become the second Canadian province to regulate online gambling, it was confirmed that Ontario's model would be used as something of a blueprint for the soon-to-be regulated region. Because of this, Alberta’s model bears many similarities to its provincial sibling.
Naturally, there are also a handful of key differences; the dual-regulation system between the AGLC and AiGC being the primary among them. The 80/20 market revenue split also represents revenue calculation mechanics that differ from Ontario's.
An additional difference between the models sees the AGLC take an active role in the management of the province’s self-exclusion system, while Ontario operators manage their own databases. The self-exclusion in Alberta also covers both online and land-based gaming locations – meaning any player registered will be prohibited from entry into all of the province’s casinos and casino sites. Operators in Alberta will also, unlike Ontario, be expected to provide monthly reminders for players to review their balance statements.
Earlier this year, Global Gaming Insider made a carousel prediction that outlined Alberta as the most likely jurisdiction to regulate in 2026
