The regulator of Alberta’s forthcoming competitive market for online gambling has already made some adjustments to the rules of the future road, namely around protecting the data of bettors.
- Alberta’s gaming regulator has amended its upcoming iGaming rules to adjust cybersecurity requirements for online sportsbook and casino operators ahead of launch.
- Operators will need to check certain boxes before going live and will then need even stronger approvals going forward.
- The changes are meant to protect player data while giving operators flexibility as Alberta prepares to open a competitive online gambling market.
The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) Commission recently issued a bulletin stating there were "important amendments" made to the standards for online gambling in the province.
Those are the rules that private-sector operators of online sportsbooks and casino sites will have to follow if they want to participate in the Western Canadian province's yet-to-launch iGaming market. The first batch of standards were only released last month, and they are already being updated.
The Super Bowl is big for any online sportsbook operator. For Play Alberta, though, this year's Super Bowl may be the last for which it can claim it is the province's only authorized bookmaker:https://t.co/iPWvxrkEad @Covers
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) February 6, 2026
The AGLC noted two sections in particular were tweaked, both of which deal with the "security assurance standard requirement" section of the rules. Before operators can launch in the new regulated market, they'll need a "current SOC 2 Type 1 attestation" that has been issued by an independent auditor.
The requirement is a bit technical, as it pertains to the “System and Organization Controls,” or SOC, of an operator.
“System and Organization Controls 2 (SOC 2) is a cybersecurity compliance standard specifying ways for organizations to ensure their client data is stored and processed in a secure manner,” the Business Development Bank of Canada explains.
In other words, the AGLC wants operators to have specific proof that they can safeguard customer data in a certain way. The Alberta sports betting regulator also wants that proof up front before an operator can launch in the province’s new iGaming market.
The exact launch date of the new iGaming framework is still to be determined, but when it goes live, it will increase the number of provincially regulated operators in the province from one, Play Alberta, to hopefully many.
Ontario is currently the only province in Canada that runs this sort of system for online gambling. Alberta, however, plans to follow suit, and hopefully by next football season.
Certifiably in line with regulations
The second tweak made to Alberta's iGaming standards is to indicate that two years after the market launches, they'll need to have a SOC "Type 2" attestation, an "ISO 27001” certification (another information security standard), or "an equivalent to either of the above with prior AGLC approval."
For the average sports bettor, none of the above may mean that much. And that’s probably just fine. What it means for operators, though, is that they have homework, and those things are intended to protect the data of users.
“In keeping with the Government of Alberta’s red tape reduction initiatives, these policies provide industry stakeholders with flexibility and efficiency in running their operations,” the AGLC's bulletin said.
It’s likely there will be further tweaks to Alberta’s iGaming standards before the market launches. For one thing, its advertising section needs to be officially updated to reflect the province’s rules.
