888 has become the first and only operator to launch regulated online poker in Alberta, marking a first for the Canadian online poker market.
The new locally licensed platform went live in Alberta on Tuesday, October 13, offering players a full suite of online poker games. Alberta is now the second Canadian province in which 888 offers online poker, and the operator was the first to launch in both markets.
The launch comes as the three-month grace period following Alberta’s regulated online gambling launch on July 13 draws to a close. Under the new framework, operators must secure a local license from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) regulator. Online poker was absent when the market opened because, under Alberta’s rules, it must operate in a segregated player pool.
Most operators continued serving Alberta during the transition, including 888, although they stopped accepting new registrations. The regulator allowed existing operators a three-month grace period to move to the new framework, during which they could continue offering services provided they complied with the applicable requirements.
Last week, both PokerStars and 888 informed customers about changes to their Alberta services. PokerStars told players it would exit the market on October 13, while 888 explicitly stated that it would relaunch under a local license on the same date.
It was assumed that 888 would return with online casino and sports betting but leave poker out of its Alberta offering. As in Ontario, poker must operate in a ring-fenced player pool under Alberta’s regulations. With a population of around five million, roughly one-third of Ontario’s, Alberta was seen as a difficult market for standalone online poker unless operators could share liquidity with Ontario or reconnect players to their international pools.
However, 888 Alberta has gone ahead with the launch despite the restrictions. It is currently the only operator offering regulated online poker in Alberta, although others could follow. Potential entrants include GGPoker Alberta, BetMGM Alberta and PokerStars on FanDuel Alberta, with the latter two already offering online casino services in the province.
Alberta-only Player Pool
Online poker became available in Alberta sometime during the morning in European time on Tuesday. Players were instructed to download new poker software and create new accounts to access the service.
The Alberta site operates separately from both the international 888 poker pool and the operator’s Ontario offering. Players in Alberta cannot currently share tables with players from either market.
“Starting today, Alberta players will migrate to a separated pool (only Alberta, not with Ontario) according to the new Alberta regulations,” an 888 spokesperson told Poker Industry PRO on Tuesday.
The poker client features a full range of games, including Hold’em and Omaha cash games, alongside a schedule of guaranteed tournaments. The initial lineup includes turbos, Mystery Bounties and knockout events, all scheduled for Tuesday evening, with relatively modest guarantees.
The upcoming Sunday schedule features a C$1 buy-in Sunday Micro PKO with a C$250 guarantee. Players will also have a C$22 Mystery Bounty Main Event to choose from, which needs 200 entries to cover its C$4,000 guarantee, assuming each entry pays the full buy-in and excluding any applicable fees or other adjustments.
At the time of writing, 888 had not announced any specific promotional offers to mark the launch, nor had it introduced a dedicated launch-week tournament series. The poker client does, however, feature the updated green branding that the company rolled out late last month.
Liquidity Questions Remain
The decision to launch is particularly interesting given 888’s previous comments about the prospects for online poker in Alberta. In an earlier interview with PRO, the company indicated that entering the province would likely depend on whether cross-border liquidity sharing became possible.
“Any participation by 888 [in Alberta online poker] would still depend on licensing, technical readiness and the final rules governing poker liquidity,” 888 Head of Poker Kfir Lior told PRO in a recent interview. “We support regulatory structures that protect players while allowing licensed operators to provide a competitive product.”
The launch suggests that 888 has decided the Alberta market is worth entering even with a standalone player pool. One possibility is that the operator expects Alberta and Ontario to reach a shared-liquidity arrangement in the future and wants to establish its presence in both provinces before that happens. However, there has been no confirmation that such an agreement is imminent.
A separate legal question could also affect the future of regulated online poker in Canada. Last week, the Supreme Court heard the case concerning whether provinces such as Ontario and Alberta can return to sharing liquidity with international players. A final decision could take months, leaving the current restrictions in place for the foreseeable future.
In the meantime, Alberta and Ontario could explore sharing liquidity between their regulated markets. Discussions or negotiations could already be taking place, although no agreement has been publicly announced.
Who Else Could Launch?
The plans of other operators remain uncertain. GGPoker has registered with Alberta’s regulators but has declined to comment on its intentions. The operator has not apparently informed players that it is withdrawing from the province, leaving questions about whether it will suspend access for Albertans or launch a segregated platform to comply with the new rules.
There is also no indication that PokerStars on FanDuel is preparing to launch online poker in Alberta imminently. The operator had not responded to inquiries at the time of writing.
BetMGM is another potential entrant. The operator already offers online poker in Ontario and launched its online casino and sports betting products in Alberta when the regulated market opened in July. Its existing presence in both provinces could make an Alberta poker launch a possibility, although the company has not announced any plans to do so.
BetRivers Poker could also enter Alberta in the future. However, its prospects may depend on whether Canadian provinces can eventually share player pools with each other or with regulated US markets. Until the rules and commercial arrangements become clearer, it remains uncertain how many operators will be willing to launch poker in Alberta while the province’s player pool remains isolated.
