Let’s cut to the chase.
If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’re Albertan. I’m also assuming you bet on sports. Things are going to change for Albertans who bet on sports starting July 13. Here’s what those things are.
- Starting July 13, Alberta will launch some new provincially regulated online sportsbooks, meaning existing grey-market accounts may be closed, open bets voided, and users required to create new accounts.
- Bettors must be at least 18 to register, can expect standard identity checks and common payment options, and may receive promotions through sportsbook apps or direct marketing rather than public advertising.
- Regulated sportsbooks will offer a wide range of betting while certain wagering markets, such as those for elections and Canadian minor league sports, will be off-limits; DFS and horse racing will take a hit as well.
What’s changing?
Let me make one more assumption: you’re betting on sports right now, but you’re not betting on them with Play Alberta.
Play Alberta belongs to the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC), and it is the only online sportsbook in Alberta that is authorized to take bets. So that means, if you're not using it, you are technically betting in what we’d call the “grey” market.
Coolbet says it is officially shutting down in Alberta on July 13, the day the province's new regulated iGaming market will go live.
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) July 6, 2026
"Due to changes in Alberta's iGaming regulations, we'll no longer be able to offer our services in the province without a local licence." pic.twitter.com/zMWw6FTw21
However, on Monday, July 13, a bunch of online sportsbooks will launch, or relaunch, in Alberta. They’ll do so under provincial oversight. That means they will be on the same legal footing as Play Alberta, and will be taking bets with the blessing of the provincial government.
And one or more of those sportsbooks may be ones you’re using right now. Which means that your sportsbook has to do a few things that will affect you and your wagering.
Like what?
Well, for starters, your sportsbook is probably gonna void any of your preexisting bets. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but before that sportsbook relaunches as a provincially regulated sportsbook.
So, if you’ve got a Super Bowl future already (easy there, keener), it’s going to be voided, or perhaps just paid out based on any odds changes. Alberta’s online gambling regulations require that grey operators (the ones relaunching in the province) must “ensure all outstanding bets are satisfied or cancelled prior to ceasing unregulated operations.”
This means settling open wagers, refunding account balances, and letting players know about the “timelines and procedures” for closing their account.
They’re gonna close my account?
Possibly. But the good news is you’ll be able to open a new account with your sportsbook’s newly regulated and authorized Alberta sports betting app or site.
So what do I need to create an account with an online sportsbook in Alberta?
You’re going to need to be at least 18 years old, which is the minimum legal age for gambling in Alberta, and the minimum age for most of Alberta’s sportsbook operators. Your new (or old) sportsbook is also gonna ask you for some information, such as your full name, date of birth, and address.
How much you get asked for will vary from sportsbook to sportsbook, so be ready with your wallet and some photo ID just in case. Operators aren’t required to ask for government-issued ID, but better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
And speaking of your wallet, after you register with the sportsbook, you can move on to depositing money into your account for betting. Debit, credit card, and Interac deposits will likely be available, and perhaps other transfer methods, such as PayPal. You won’t be able to use cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin, to fund your account.
Am I going to get any free bets or other goodies?
You most certainly will. Alberta’s authorized sports betting operators should have various promotions to attract your business, from free bets to deposit matches to whatever else they can afford.
However, it’s worth noting that there are rules for advertising these free bets and bonuses. A sportsbook can’t just buy a billboard in downtown Calgary or Edmonton saying “SIGN UP WITH US AND GET A BUNCH OF FREE BETS.”
No, Alberta’s iGaming rules include a ban on advertising “inducements” unless it is on a sportsbook’s website or app, or if you give those operators permission to send those types of offers your way via emails or text messages. So, while I am confident there will be free bets, I can’t even tell you how many free bets or who is dishing them out.
What if I don’t want to bet at all?
You don’t have to. And, if you so choose, you can ban yourself from anywhere that will be offering sports betting. Alberta will have a centralized self-exclusion tool in place that will allow users to bar themselves from all regulated gambling sites and facilities in the province. Every sportsbook operator has to have a bare minimum of responsible gambling messaging and tools available for bettors as well.
What can I bet on, though?
A lot. The rules in Alberta allow for a pretty full sportsbook menu, with some pretty reasonable exceptions.
Going to the rodeo tonight so please send me any chuckwagon plays if you've got 'em. pic.twitter.com/gtVT2i9bFq
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) July 5, 2026
Did you really think Alberta would let you bet on dog fights? Because the province’s regulated sportsbooks absolutely will not, along with any other “reasonably objectionable” betting markets.
Also forbidden at these books will be wagering on minor league sports in Canada, such as Canadian Hockey League games (junior hockey). Election betting is prohibited in Alberta as well.
No election betting? What about prediction markets?
Ah, yes, prediction markets.
These ostensibly peer-to-peer exchanges are all the rage these days, especially since they facilitate wagering on sports, economics, and, yes, elections. They’ve blown up especially in the U.S., although there are a ton of lawsuits over whether what they’re offering is totally legal.
In Canada, though, it’s a bit of a different story.
There are some prediction markets authorized to offer event contracts for trading, but it’s a pretty limited selection. There is no election or sports betting via our totally legal and approved prediction market operators. While there may be offshore prediction markets that Albertans are using, they aren’t ones that the provincial government is regulating or wants operating in the province at all, really.
What else can’t I do?
Well, I’ve written about how “pay-to-play” daily fantasy sports contests in Alberta are going to go away. So, for the foreseeable future, your DFS options are going to be limited, if they’re there at all.
Was walking around Cowboys Casino in Calgary yesterday and I do declare that this looks like a good spot for a physical sportsbook. Alberta regulators are working on authorizing those alongside their efforts to launch the province’s regulated iGaming market on July 13. pic.twitter.com/rCjQx5oMvD
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) July 6, 2026
Another thing to watch out for is horse racing. If you’re betting on horse races now using a sportsbook, and that sportsbook is going to join the province’s regulated iGaming market, that’s going to go away as well.
What if I want to make some in-person bets?
You’ll be able to, but when exactly those physical sportsbooks open in Alberta is TBD. Casinos, racetracks, and even professional sports venues could all have kiosks or betting windows. Again, though, when exactly they’ll open is up to the people running those facilities and provincial regulators. Stay tuned.
