While Alberta’s insta-worthy mountains and lakes are a massive draw, Wild Rose Country is also home to a sports betting market worth $108 million (Canadian Gaming Association) annually.
The home of the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames has, unsurprisingly, a betting scene that revolves around the NHL and peaks when the Pacific Division opponents renew their rivalry in the Battle of Alberta.
Albertans are also players when it comes to the NFL, MLB, and NBA. This guide outlines all the pertinent information needed to learn about online sports gambling in Alberta.
Population: 4.3 million
Legal age for sports betting: 18
Online sports betting: Yes
Retail sportsbooks: No
Sports betting revenue: $108 million
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It is legal to bet on sports in Alberta. All gaming activities related to sports betting are regulated by the provincial government. Adults aged 18 years or older are legally allowed to place bets, with activity controlled by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC).
Surging interest in Alberta sports betting is tied to sports programming and its packed schedule of NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB games. The caveat here is that sportsbooks are not represented among the betting options for Albertans. The province boasts more than 25 land-based casinos and the Alberta Sport Select lottery kiosk betting system.
The Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC), a jointly operated entity run by several Western Canada provinces, operates several lottery and gambling activities including sports betting. The product most familiar to Albertans is Sport Select, used to designate each of the sports betting lottery options. The Sport Select games include: Proline, Point Spread, and Pools.
Options for sports betting in Alberta are limited to offline channels. Wagers must be placed in-person at select outlets including convenience stores and gas stations.
Sport Select can satisfy the betting needs of beginners, but it is quite limited in scope. Unfriendly player odds and restrictions placed on bettors — such as the inability to bet on a single game without tying it to a parlay — often serve as deterrents. Bettors in Alberta might consider one of our top Canadian sportsbooks for more favourable odds and fewer restrictions.
Chippy and intense are just two adjectives used to describe the Battle of Alberta. The decades-long rivalry between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames is circled in red on the NHL calendar.
The CFL has carved out an inter-province grudge match of its own, with the 14-time Grey Cup winners Edmonton Football Team lining up against the eight-time champion Calgary Stampeders.
This prairie province swaps skates for spurs in July during the Calgary Stampede. More than one million visitors descend on Calgary for the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,” a boot-stomping celebration of western heritage.
Read our betting site reviews to learn more about which sites to use and learn about the Covers BetSmart System™.
The Calgary Stampede is not the only event within the province to feature horses. Century Mile Racetrack and Casino (Edmonton) and Century Downs (Calgary) are two of the most popular venues for horse racing in Alberta. Both tracks offer live horse racing and are attached to casinos. The following venues also play host to various horse racing events in Alberta: Evergreen Park (Grande Prairie); Millarville Racing (Millarville); Rocky Mountain Turf Club (Lethbridge).
WCLC and its Sport Select product offer in-person betting on horse racing in Alberta. Additionally, horse racing bets in Alberta can be placed through any of the sportsbooks mentioned earlier in the guide.
With more than 25 years of excellence within the sports betting industry, Covers continues to provide Canadians with independent sportsbook reviews.
Whether you are looking for the best NFL sportsbook or the best site for live NHL betting, Covers has vetted the best places to bet online in Alberta. Canada is a big place, but we’ve gone local and assembled a list of the best online sports betting sites near you.
The following online sportsbooks should be avoided due to their questionable tactics and failure to provide adequate services.
Sports bettors in Alberta must be 18 years of age or older.
No, occasional lottery winnings in Canada are considered a windfall. Income earned from sports gambling does not need to be declared on tax returns.
Yes. Bets can be placed via the online sportsbooks mentioned earlier within this guide.
No. Online bets can be placed at sportsbooks but not through provincially owned resources.
