It’s possible Albertans could wager on next year’s Super Bowl with DraftKings, FanDuel, or some other private-sector operator not yet available in the province.
Key takeaways
- Alberta’s de facto iGaming minister suggested at the 2025 Canadian Gaming Summit that the province’s new online gambling market could go live by early 2026.
- Even so, the provincial government has yet to decide key aspects of the new market, such as which types of advertising it will permit.
- The government plans to consult with stakeholders, including sportsbooks, retail operators and First Nations tribes, on new rules.
That, at least, was the impression Alberta’s de facto iGaming minister, Dale Nally, gave during remarks at the Canadian Gaming Summit in Toronto Wednesday.
Nally told his audience Alberta's government must settle questions about advertising and tax rates, which it plans to do in the fall. Once it answers those, though, a competitive iGaming market launch in the Western Canadian province will be within reach.
“In terms of timeframes, I can’t give you a month, but I can tell you early next year we’re going to be cutting the ribbon on our iGaming Alberta and we’re very excited to be able to offer that,” Nally said. “We’re going to have more to share with you in the near future.”
Nally's comments, officially the minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, are in line with his previous statements and the legal sports betting industry's expectations.
Land of plenty (of gambling)
The industry, though, is closely watching Alberta, as it represents a potentially lucrative market. For example, Nally pointed out Wednesday the many millions Albertans bet on 50/50 contests tied to Edmonton Oilers' playoff games.
Moreover, the latest timeframe for Alberta’s new and regulated iGaming market launch follows the provincial legislature passing the iGaming Alberta Act last month.
The law (which Nally sponsored and the provincial Conservative government backed) provides the legal framework for how Alberta will authorize private-sector online sportsbooks and casinos to take bets in the province, officially letting them compete with provincially-owned Play Alberta.
While Play Alberta is the only site Alberta authorized to take bets at the moment, it's not the only site actually taking wagers in the province. So-called grey and black market operators account for more than half of all Alberta's online gambling, perhaps as much as 90%.
Law of the land
Bill 48’s passage sets the stage for a big shakeup in Alberta sports betting, letting multiple private-sector operators come under provincial regulation, take bets with the government's blessing, and hand over a cut of their revenue.
When the new iGaming market in Alberta launches, the province will become the second in Canada, after Ontario, to roll out such a model.
Ontario created a new agency, iGaming Ontario, to facilitate its new iGaming market launch. Alberta is doing the same, with Bill 48 establishing a new “Alberta iGaming Corporation.”
Still, before any shakeup takes place, the provincial government must lay out all ground rules for participation. Nally said Wednesday the United Conservative government in Alberta has yet to decide on advertising rules and tax rates, perhaps among several other things.
Up now is Alberta's de facto iGaming minister, @DaleNally_AB, who says they have not made a decision on advertising rules or the tax rate for province's coming competitive iGaming market. Cabinet ministers will meet in fall and hammer those out, he says.
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) June 18, 2025
The government also wants to consult further with iGaming operators, brick-and-mortar casino companies, and First Nations about the new market. That likely includes seeking input on advertising rules, such as whether to let athletes appear freely in iGaming-related marketing, or to restrict them, as Ontario did.
“I will be going back to my cabinet colleagues in the fall and we’re going to be talking about advertising standards and tax rates,” Nally said. “And then we’re going to make those difficult decisions."
The minister even sought a show of hands from the crowd at the summit, asking the audience whether they’d like to see only retired athletes participate in iGaming, or if all athletes should be allowed.
“The free market capitalist in me supports [letting athletes participate] but, of course, it’s not going to be my decision,” Nally said. “This is going to be a cabinet decision that we’re going to make. We’ll be making those decisions in the fall and then we’re going to be getting back to you on what that’s going to look like.”
