Sometimes you have to treat the Big Game just like any other game.
Still, the operator of the only authorized online sportsbook in Alberta believes it is ready to meet the challenge of the busiest betting day of the year, Super Bowl Sunday, and also the new, provincially regulated competitors it may face later this year.
"We're eager to take on the challenges ahead of us,” said Carly Curran, acting vice president of gaming for the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC), in an interview with Covers on Wednesday.
- Play Alberta is gearing up for a Super Bowl betting surge with far more markets and props than last year, expecting most wagers to arrive over the weekend.
- Super Bowl LX may be its last as Alberta’s only authorized online sportsbook before a new regulated market opens to private competitors later this year.
- The province aims to shift bettors from unregulated sites into a regulated system.
One of the more immediate challenges for the AGLC and its online gambling platform, Play Alberta, is the tidal wave of wagering heading its way for the Super Bowl. Curran said they anticipate around 90% of their total action on the Super Bowl will be placed over the weekend, meaning the bulk is still to come.
Play Alberta, operated by the provincially owned AGLC, has much more on offer for its bettors this year as well. Curran said the online sportsbook now has more than two times the betting markets compared to just last year.
FWIW there's talk during BetMGM's business update about an Alberta launch in 2026. Everything seems to be pointing to the province launching a competitive iGaming market this year (exact time TBD), including BetMGM budgeting for launch-related costs ("Regulatory/New States"): pic.twitter.com/qv16UVWT3Z
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) February 4, 2026
A quick scroll through Play Alberta’s Super Bowl betting menu shows as much. Yes, you're still free to bet the Seahawks or Patriots on the moneyline or using the point spread (per a Play Alberta press release on Wednesday, 56% of spread bets and 59% of moneyline tickets were on Seattle), or dabble in a wide variety of player props. However, Play Alberta also has a lot of the Super Bowl-specific props that have become almost table stakes for the Big Game.
You could, for example, bet on the colour of the Gatorade that will be dumped on the winning coach (another classic), wager on whether Pepsi or Pringles will have their television commercial aired first, and whether a streaker or other "unauthorized person" gets on the field during the game. You could even bet on which offensive player will be clocked as the fastest-moving ball carrier on Sunday.
The wheels are in motion
So, there’s plenty there from the only authorized Alberta sports betting site at the moment. Play Alberta has made enhancements in other areas as well, such as a deeper catalog of games for its online casino.
"Regardless of the market opening, we're always striving to be more innovative with our offerings,” Curran said.
The market to which Curran referred is the competitive one that AGLC and the Alberta government are hard at work on, which will permit private-sector iGaming operators to come under provincial regulation and take bets with the province’s blessing. The AGLC will serve as the regulator of this new competitive market, in addition to continuing to act as the operator of Play Alberta.
It's a big change. All Canadian provinces, with the exception of Ontario, grant legal monopolies for iGaming to government-owned lottery and gaming corporations, like the AGLC.
However, when the new market goes live (which is expected to happen later this year), Play Alberta will be faced with multiple regulated competitors. And while Play Alberta already competes with “unregulated” operators in the Western Canadian province, when the regulated market opens, that competition could become much more official.
So-called “grey” or “black” market operators will be permitted to transition into the new regulated market, so long as they cut ties to unregulated activities. Also joining the market will be operators that have yet to book a single bet in the province, such as BetMGM or PointsBet, the latter of which has begun signing up its future customers.
“Unregulated online gambling is already widely available across the province, with some providers operating with limited or no player protection or social responsibility measures,” the provincial government says. “Based on recent survey data, unregulated operators are estimated to capture approximately 70% of Alberta’s total iGaming market.”
Launching a market where other operators can join could help in moving unregulated activity into a provincially regulated space. Alberta, then, could receive a cut of the business being done there as well.
The other operators will have to abide by the kind of player protections the province wants, including the ones that Play Alberta already adopts. The AGLC says its online gambling platform “maintains an all-star responsible gambling lineup,” including a self-exclusion program that allows players to restrict themselves from further wagering. A “centralized” self-exclusion system will be part of the new Alberta iGaming market, enabling players to ban themselves from all physical and digital sites in one fell swoop.
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Money matters
There is a good reason for Albertans to want a strong Play Alberta, too. Its profits go straight into the pockets of the provincial government, and the platform generated $275 million in net sales in the 2024-25 fiscal year, up $35 million from the previous year, the AGLC notes. The private-sector operators joining Alberta’s iGaming market will be subject to a tax rate that is just a bit higher than 20%, entitling them to the bulk of revenue generated.
Just wanted to add a bit more context to the news that customer pre-registration has begun in Alberta...
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) February 4, 2026
You've got a certain number of online sportsbooks/casinos already operating in the province, and they'll be allowed to transition into the new regulated market. Meanwhile,…
So, the Super Bowl would have been big for Play Alberta no matter what. The Big Game is a big customer acquisition opportunity for any online sportsbook. For some people, it may be the only game they bet on all year. A better online sportsbook makes sense from that perspective alone.
This year, though, could be Play Alberta’s last Super Bowl where it can lay claim to being the only authorized operator in the province. Moreover, by the time Super Bowl LXI rolls around, Play Alberta may have to joust for market share with its previous “grey market” rivals and newer, deeper-pocketed competitors like DraftKings and FanDuel.
However, with all that said, the AGLC was going to keep improving Play Alberta anyway. The operator gets plenty of feedback from its regulated partners already, and it is using those insights to remain competitive with other operators.
“Every event is important to Play Alberta,” Curran said. “We love to give our players the best experience, regardless of whether it's one of the larger events of the year or just a simple NBA game.”
