The passage of the Alberta iGaming Act, also known as Bill 48, in May of 2025, was the first step toward establishing a comprehensive legal igaming market which will bring online poker in Canada to the country’s fourth most-populous province.
A comprehensive regulatory framework was introduced by the Alberta government in January 2026, detailing the steps of the licensing process and other key provisions of the new igaming market.
With the regulatory framework in place, all that’s left is for the licensing process to start and for operators to get their operating licenses from the provincial regulators.
Judging by the timeframes of similar launches in other territories across Canada and the US, it now appears that regulated online poker in Alberta should be launching in late Q2 or early Q3 of 2026.
Alberta’s Regulated iGaming Will Be Significantly Expanded
Currently, Alberta hosts only one regulated igaming operator in PlayAlberta, a site operated by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC).
Apart from PlayAlberta, dozens of offshore operators also offer services to Albertans, but outside of the scope of provincial regulations. The goal of Bill 48 is to introduce a wider regulated igaming market with private providers getting licenses and being fully overseen by provincial regulators.
With 70% of all online gambling in Alberta currently happening at offshore sites, the introduction of more regulated options will allow the government to protect the population, especially young Albertans, from the potential harms of problem gambling.
Dave Nally, minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, said: “For Albertans who choose not to gamble, the best option is to not start. With unregulated iGaming widely available in our province, it is our responsibility to step in, regulate the market, and hold private providers to the highest standards to protect Albertans, particularly our youth.”
Alberta to Follow Ontario’s Example
The regulatory framework for igaming in Alberta will closely resemble that of Ontario, which launched its own regulated igaming market back in 2022.
The framework will include both online casinos and poker, with dozens of operators potentially applying for licenses in a similar way they did when legalized online poker in Ontario launched.
The Alberta iGaming Act set up a new Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), which will oversee the igaming market, while AGLC will remain the provincial gaming regulator.
The three-part license application process will start with each operator submitting an application to the AGLC. Once approved, the operators will have to enter a separate agreement with AiGC before they can fully launch their products in the province.
The provincial government will keep 20% of all igaming revenue, with 2% going to support the First Nations, and 1% dedicated to gambling research, problem gambling treatments, and other socially responsible initiatives.
The province will also receive a centralized self-exclusion system, allowing players to exclude themselves from play across the entire network of regulated sites. Advertising rules will limit campaigns from targeting youths or including any current or retired athletes.
More information should be available soon, as the first operators file for licenses with AGLC, and the first sites likely launch their products before the year is out.
