Alberta's iGaming Alberta Act: What It Means for Players

Also known as Bill 48, the iGaming Alberta Act was recently ratified by the government of Alberta in May of 2025. It now simply awaits a final approval — Royal Assent — before it is officially law, which is soon to come. The Act sets the stage for private operators to provide legally sanctioned online casino games, sports betting, and other iGaming options, alongside the existing government-owned platform, PlayAlberta.

How Alberta Will Run iGaming

The new market will be overseen by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC), which will act as the main regulator to enforce conformity to regulations by operators and to regulate players. The day-to-day operations, such as licensing and administering private operators, will be dealt with by a distinct organization, the Alberta iGaming Corporation. This two-part model — one business regulating and one running business — is emulating the extremely successful Ontario model, already thriving splendidly in Canada's largest iGaming jurisdiction.

What Players Can Expect

Players can expect several key changes with the iGaming Alberta Act. Most importantly, there will be an increase in options — huge private operators like DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel, and more are expected to join the market to provide players with a further range of sites on which to play.

Secondly, there will be enhanced safety measures. All operators will need to have a license and be subject to tight regulations to protect players. These range from a master self-exclusion system that enables one to exclude themselves from all sites at the same time, age checks to ascertain that players are 18 or older, location checks so that only players within Alberta can play, and support programs like GameSense to ensure responsible gaming.

Third, the legislation aims to fight offshore destinations. Now, many Albertans bet on foreign gambling sites that aren't regulated. The new system is meant to reduce that by making play local, safer, and under Alberta's control.

Finally, Alberta anticipates that its regulated iGaming industry will be coming online sometime in early 2026, giving players a clearer sense of when these new options will arrive.