Any volunteers?
Alberta’s government is looking for board members to oversee the entity that the province will use to launch a competitive market for online sports betting and internet casino gambling.
- Alberta is recruiting board members for its new Alberta iGaming Corporation, which will be legally responsible for the province’s yet-to-launch iGaming market.
- The AiGC will help regulate private-sector operators, aiming to shift gambling activity away from the grey market and toward a regulated system that is similar to Ontario’s model.
- The board will guide strategy, oversee operator agreements and revenue management, and help prepare the market for an expected 2026 launch.
That entity, the new Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), was established by legislation passed earlier this year and will serve as the legal vehicle through which the new Alberta sports betting and iGaming market is run.
Or, as the online recruitment posting says, the AiGC is there to “develop, undertake, organize, conduct, and manage online lottery on behalf of the Government of Alberta.”
“The AiGC will establish a competitive, innovative, responsible and sustainable iGaming market in Alberta by conducting and managing Alberta’s iGaming market, promoting responsible gaming and consumer protection, and generating revenue for the province,” it adds.
Good chance of Alberta being the only jurisdiction in North America to authorize new forms of online gambling this year (not counting Missouri, that happened in 2024):
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) May 8, 2025
Alberta iGaming, Sports Betting Bill Passed By Legislature https://t.co/XJ6D9TgtAM @Covers
Would-be members of the AiGC's board of directors have until Dec. 10 to apply. According to a "Position Profile," the provincial government is aiming to fill five vacancies, one of which will be designated the chair of the board and another the vice-chair.
The recruitment effort is a sign that Alberta's Conservative government is making progress on its plan to launch a new regulated market for online gambling.
That regulatory framework is expected to roll out next year and include multiple private-sector operators, such as DraftKings or FanDuel. Those companies will be able to offer internet-based sports betting, slots, and table games.
Getting the AiGC up and running first, though, is key to opening the new iGaming market. It's with the iGaming corporation that private-sector operators could sign contracts outlining their various obligations to the province before they start officially taking bets from Albertans.
Coming soon... ish
Alberta's iGaming minister, Dale Nally, said in a statement to Covers that the government continues to meet with members of the industry and others "so we can get the launch of a private, regulated iGaming market in Alberta right."
"Conversations are ongoing and cover a wide range of topics, including the development of the province’s regulatory framework, the implementation of player safety measures like system wide self-exclusion, and the registration process with Alberta’s iGaming market regulator – Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis," Nally said. "An interim CEO will soon be appointed to complete the work necessary to finish standing up the Alberta iGaming Corporation. Once the organization is stood up, a CEO will be recruited to manage and oversee the operations of the Alberta iGaming Corporation."
Nally added that the government anticipates that "regulations could be finalized soon and [we] look forward to sharing more details about Alberta iGaming Corporation in early 2026."
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A 'grey' area
In other words, Alberta is still taking steps toward another shakeup of Canada's status quo for online gambling.
Most Canadian provinces have opted to give government-owned entities a legal monopoly over regulated iGaming. Alberta is one of those jurisdictions at the moment, with government-owned Play Alberta the only authorized iGaming option in the Western Canadian province.
However, just because provinces haven’t authorized other iGaming operators, it doesn’t mean other operators aren’t taking bets in their backyard.
Canada has long had a robust “grey” market for iGaming, with operators based offshore or outside provinces doing plenty of business within those provinces without any official authorization.
This is true in Alberta, where Play Alberta has been conservatively estimated at conducting less than half of the online gambling in the province. The bulk of online sports betting and iCasino activity in Alberta happens with "grey" operators.
This was also true in Ontario. The provincial government then launched a first-of-its-kind competitive iGaming market in 2022 that welcomed private-sector operators, some of which were working “grey” before then.
Ontario now says it has succeeded in moving the majority of online gambling in the province onto more than 80 provincially regulated platforms, ranging from bet365 to BetMGM to the government-owned Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.’s iGaming site.
FanDuel-parent Flutter still expecting "an early 2026" launch of a competitive iGaming market in Alberta. That tracks with what we've heard so far from the government there: pic.twitter.com/1Xy47m1q1o
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) May 7, 2025
This is, more or less, what Alberta is seeking to replicate out west: a provincially regulated iGaming market that permits private-sector operators to compete with each other and Play Alberta for business. It would be the second such market to launch in Canada, and the current expectation is that it will go live at some point in 2026.
The Alberta iGaming Corporation will be the cornerstone of the province’s new iGaming market and will function similarly to iGaming Ontario.
Private-sector operators sign contracts with iGaming Ontario, an Ontario government agency, that outline their responsibilities in Canada's most populous province. They will be able to do the same with the AiGC, according to the recruitment posting.
“Reducing the size and scope of the illicit iGaming marketing, by offering Albertans a broader choice among private, regulated iGaming operators” is one of the AiGC's responsibilities outlined in the call for board members.
So, too, is “executing and overseeing contractual obligations set out in operating agreements with private iGaming operators, on behalf of the Government of Alberta, to provide iGaming services to Albertans.”
The AiGC will also be responsible for “managing and reconciling iGaming revenues, on behalf of the province, and in accordance with provincial standards and legislative reporting.”
That responsibility highlights some of the details still needing to be sorted out before Alberta launches the new iGaming market. These include how much revenue operators will have to share with the provincial government and the rules for advertising, the latter of which remains an area of concern for federal lawmakers.
The AiGC also needs a chief executive officer; none has been announced yet. And while the AiGC will be the "conduct and manage" entity for Alberta, which will give the province the control required under Canada's Criminal Code, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) will be the regulator of the new iGaming market.
No iGaming regulations have been revealed yet by the AGLC. The commission also operates Play Alberta, which will put it in the unique position of being both a regulator and operator in the province.
To conduct and manage and serve
The recruitment posting says that AiGC board members will serve terms of up to three years and none can serve for more than 10 years combined. The legislation establishing the new iGaming corporation allows for as many as seven board members.
Board members will be paid, with the remuneration dependent on how much time they spend on the job. For example, the chairman will receive $219 for up to and including four hours spent on any day, $383 for between four and eight hours, and $601 for more than eight hours.
The board will have to meet virtually or in person at least four times a year, and "typically" in Edmonton or the surrounding area. Members will need some iGaming know-how as well, as an "understanding" of the sector is listed among the skills and experience required for the role.
“The Board sets the AiGC’s strategic direction, evaluates performance of the CEO, approves and monitors the AiGC’s business plan and financial results, and is ultimately accountable to the Minister,” the recruitment posting notes.
