After years of work, Alberta launched its competitive market for online sports betting and internet casino gambling on Monday, a major milestone for iGaming in the province and across Canada.
And while there were celebrations on a job finally done, the work is really just beginning.
- Alberta has launched its competitive online sports betting and iGaming market, but key questions remain about when more operators will join and how the market will evolve.
- The province expects new tax revenue, with funds allocated to public services, First Nations, and responsible gambling, though some details on spending are still undecided.
- The future of daily fantasy sports, online poker, prediction markets, and horse racing will largely depend on regulatory decisions, court rulings, and industry partnerships.
Yes, the province has now successfully authorized a bunch of new Alberta sports betting and iCasino sites. But now it must regulate those apps and sites constantly, for however long its iGaming market remains open.
Moreover, while the Alberta government and regulators have published and discussed a ton of details about the new iGaming framework, there are still some questions left unanswered. Some of those answers will come eventually as the province continues its work, but there are some unknowns beyond Alberta’s control.
Here, then, are some of those to-be-determined details about Alberta’s iGaming market, including who’s still joining, how long it might take them to join, and what’s happening with all the money.
Fast and not-so-fast followers
Alberta’s iGaming market launched Monday with 22 sites “approved” by regulators to go live from the outset with online sports betting and casino gambling.
However, around 50 sites have been licensed by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC), which raises the question: Who’s next?
While there may be keen interest among some operators in going live in the province’s regulated market as soon as possible, others may be more inclined to take their time.
Others still may be working through some things with the AGLC to get themselves in a position to launch, particularly those that were already taking bets in Alberta before the regulated market rolled out.
Nevertheless, the AGLC’s roster of registered sites suggests the market could at least double in size. And there are some quick and easy candidates for who will make up the next wave.
Here's our tracker of which online sportsbooks and casino gambling sites have and/or are expect to launch in Alberta's new iGaming market today:https://t.co/dtdS9XVLCy @Covers
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) July 13, 2026
PointsBet was the first operator to begin preregistration in Alberta, so their interest in launching ASAP is apparent. Watch for that soon.
Pure Casino’s online gambling site is coming soon, too, a product of a partnership between the brick-and-mortar operator and tech company Kambi.
BET99 and Betway should be en route to Alberta’s regulated market as well. When exactly remains to be seen, but by October at least.
That is because there is a bit of wiggle room in Alberta for so-called “grey” operators to transition into the regulated market. However, the regulator’s cutoff for operators to cease any “unregulated” business in the province is Oct. 13.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account
Show me the money (and where it’s going)
Alberta’s going to see some money out of this online gambling thing, no doubt about it.
Exactly how much, we’ll find out eventually. For what it’s worth, the provincial government is expecting around $76 million in additional tax revenue from the first year of its iGaming market. However, that’s before the market has really begun to ramp up.
The Alberta iGaming Corp. (AiGC) said it will publish quarterly financial reports.
What’s more, the “manager” of the Alberta iGaming market made sure to stress on Monday that 20% of net revenues from provincially regulated sites will flow to the province’s general revenue fund to pay for public services and programs.
FWIW the first year of Ontario's competitive iGaming market generated around $87 million for the province. https://t.co/JZjhJKuJ8T
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) June 30, 2026
That’s not the whole story, though. The 20% of revenue to the province comes after 3% of all gross revenue from Alberta’s iGaming market is being taken off the top, with 2% dedicated to First Nations and 1% for responsible gambling initiatives.
On the RG front, the AiGC says 1% will fund things such as “research on gambling addictions and supporting mental health treatment programs.”
How the money for First Nations will be spent is still a little fuzzy, so stay tuned.
Alberta’s de facto iGaming minister, Dale Nally, said Monday that Indigenous Relations Minister Rajan Sawhney “will have more to say in the very near future in terms of what that's going to look like.”
Any DFS updates?
Alberta’s launch of regulated iGaming means much more provincially regulated choice for adults when it comes to online sports betting and iCasino.
It has, unfortunately, meant less choice when it comes to “pay-to-play” daily fantasy contests. Poker options look limited as well.
Alberta’s rules are similar to those in Ontario, which means all online gambling has to be provided to people physically located in the province. You can’t have an online poker game or DFS contest that includes players in other parts of Canada or the U.S.
That significantly limits the size of those games and contests. It may not be worth it for companies at all to offer DFS, for example, because the rake revenue takes a hit and they're still subject to the 20% tax rate on revenue since DFS is treated like online sports betting.
But, to all of the above, you could say “for now.”
There wasn't enough going on today, so the Supreme Court of Canada announced a hearing date for the big Ontario DFS/poker iGaming liquidity appeal.
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) July 14, 2026
On Oct. 7, then, Canada's highest court will hear arguments for and against Canadians playing DFS or poker against Americans. pic.twitter.com/us1m1n4lOA
There is a legal matter working its way through the courts that could provide a much more attractive path for online poker and DFS in both Alberta and Ontario, the only two provinces in Canada with competitive iGaming markets.
That matter is currently before the Supreme Court of Canada after a decision in Ontario last year was appealed to Canada’s highest court by a coalition of Canadian lotteries.
A hearing for that appeal is now scheduled for Oct. 7, after which a decision from the Supreme Court could come. That decision could support Ontario's efforts to connect its iGaming scheme to those abroad, or it may not.
If the Supreme Court backs Ontario, that could be good for Alberta DFS and poker. If not, it could be back to the drawing board.
There is the possibility that Ontario and Alberta strike a deal with each other to allow them to pool their iGaming liquidity. That could let the provinces join their online poker and DFS games. They could also try to strike similar deals with other provinces.
So, another TBD here, and one that will likely be determined by the Supreme Court of Canada in what may be a precedent-setting ruling.
Predicting the future (of, uh, prediction markets)
The U.S. has seen a (quite controversial) prediction market boom over the past few years. The federally regulated exchanges began offering sports-related event contracts for trading in late 2024, and that has now bloomed into a nationwide form of de facto sports wagering.
So, understandably, there is concern and interest in Canada about whether that will migrate north. In short, prediction markets aren’t really a thing here yet. It doesn’t look like Alberta will have to worry much about that "yes or no" style of wagering.
This flew under my radar last week, but Polymarket has restricted access in several other Canadian provinces, namely Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec. Ontario has been on PM's restricted list since 2023, after provincial securities regulators intervened. pic.twitter.com/fSyvWSqyw2
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) July 13, 2026
That said, Canadian regulators have authorized some prediction market activity. However, that activity is pretty limited. No sports or election betting is permitted at this point.
Furthermore, one offshore prediction market operator, Polymarket, continues to pull back from Canada. The company has been barred from Ontario for a few years, but it recently updated its restricted regions to include Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec.
All of the above means Albertans are facing more hurdles and restrictions if they want to dabble in prediction markets. The good news is that, if you just want to bet on sports, you now have plenty of online sportsbooks standing by to take your action.
How about those horses?
As we reported before the iGaming market's launch, Alberta’s online sportsbooks do not have horse racing on offer. The reasons are complicated, and the kinks have yet to be worked out.
What is important to remember, though, is that Ontario faced the same obstacles in 2022 and solutions were eventually found. The answer in Ontario was online sportsbook operators agreeing to partner with Toronto-based Woodbine to add pari-mutuel wagering to their menu.
When exactly that could happen in Alberta is, again, TBD. But there’s a blueprint that’s been laid out in Canada, and it’s one from which Alberta’s newly authorized bookmakers could borrow.
In the meantime, Albertans can still bet on horse racing at the track, at OTBs, and by using Woodbine's HPIbet.
