DraftKings is setting money aside to launch its online sportsbook and casino in Alberta later this year.
So suggested DraftKings CEO Jason Robins on Friday, when asked during his company’s quarterly earnings call about their forecast for future earnings, which included the impact of expected spending on “line-of-sight jurisdiction launches.”
Re: whether prediction markets are pushing more states to legalize online sports betting/iGaming, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins says they are “definitely getting traction on that,” adds that states would be “absolutely crazy” to raise tax rates right now with PMs around.
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) February 13, 2026
Robins said an Alberta sports betting launch, as well as a rollout of online casino wagering in Maine, was included in those projections.
“So there is some spend allocated to those states,” Robins said. “We don't have exact timing on launch yet, but we feel certain enough that they're around the corner that we were able to quantify appropriately and put it in there.”
- DraftKings CEO Jason Robins suggested the company has allocated funds to launch its online sportsbook and casino in Alberta in 2026, though an exact date has not been set.
- Alberta plans to open a competitive, regulated iGaming market similar to Ontario, expanding beyond the current sole operator Play Alberta and attracting major industry players.
- DraftKings’ existing daily fantasy sports business in Alberta may be affected by new provincial rules, echoing past changes in Ontario that also impacted competitors like FanDuel.
Alberta is indeed working toward the launch of a competitive, regulated market for online sports betting and Alberta online casino gambling. There is hope that the market will launch before football season, but there is no exact date yet.
However, when the new market does go live, it will expand the number of provincially regulated iGaming operators in Alberta from one, Play Alberta, to many, including some of the biggest names in the business. Boston-based DraftKings is poised to be one of the names, which is unsurprising given it's already launched its online sportsbook and casino in one other Canadian province, Ontario.
So, in launching its new regulatory framework, Alberta is following the example of Ontario, which is still the only province permitting multiple private-sector operators to take bets. DraftKings’ online sportsbook and casino have been live in Ontario since May 2022.
The DFS dilemma
Robins’ comments, as well as moves by other operators, suggest there will be a lot of competition in Alberta for customers and market share, as there is in Ontario. And DraftKings already has a presence in Alberta, as it offers daily fantasy contests there.
There is still a looming question about what will happen to DraftKings’ DFS business when it joins the province’s regulated iGaming market.
Alberta's current rules will require operators to ensure their games are provided only within the province, "unless they are conducted in conjunction with the government of another province."
In practice, this means all bettors will have to be physically located in Alberta to use Alberta-regulated iGaming sites. However, similar rules in Ontario led DraftKings and FanDuel to shutter their DFS businesses there. Other DFS companies, such as PrizePicks and Underdog, have steered clear of the province as well.
It's possible Alberta and Ontario could agree to share iGaming liquidity and either sustain or revive "pay-to-play" DFS in their provinces. Furthermore, the Ontario government has been seeking another remedy to the DFS situation, which could also bolster the province’s pool of online poker players and perhaps help Alberta, too.
A reference to the Court of Appeal for Ontario returned a majority decision in favour of Ontario linking its iGaming scheme to those abroad, which could provide for a return of DFS and bigger poker games, among other things. That ruling, though, has since been appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada.
