Launching an online sportsbook or casino in a new market costs money, and OSB and iGaming operators are already budgeting to go live in Alberta next year.
- iGaming and sports betting operators are preparing for a 2026 Alberta launch, with major players like PENN Entertainment and BetRivers already budgeting and planning for market entry.
- PENN Entertainment confirmed Alberta’s launch is factored into its 2026 profitability goals, and it anticipates going live in the first quarter based on current information.
- Alberta's government passed legislation to support a new online betting market, with regulatory details like advertising rules still to be finalized.
One of those other operators is PENN Entertainment Inc., which already offers online sports betting and internet casino gambling in Ontario via its theScore Bet brand.
On Thursday, PENN CEO Jay Snowden was asked during its quarterly earnings call if an Alberta launch in 2026 would affect its plan of achieving online gambling profitability by 2026. That profitability objective includes the casino company’s U.S.-facing brand, ESPN BET.
“It would not,” Snowden responded. “When I say profitable in [2026], we know that Alberta’s going to launch at some point in, we think, early [2026] from what we’ve been told. So that’s built into our assumptions. We’re targeting right now [the first quarter of 2026], which is the best information we have.”
The commentary coming from online sports betting operators in Canada and the U.S. suggests an early 2026 launch of a competitive Alberta iGaming market remains in play.
Alberta’s de facto iGaming minister, Dale Nally, indicated in June that could very well be the case, although he also noted there are details that must be sorted out in the fall, such as the market's advertising rules.
Good chance of Alberta being the only jurisdiction in North America to authorize new forms of online gambling this year (not counting Missouri, that happened in 2024):
— Geoff Zochodne (@GeoffZochodne) May 8, 2025
Alberta iGaming, Sports Betting Bill Passed By Legislature https://t.co/XJ6D9TgtAM @Covers
Nevertheless, provincial lawmakers passed legislation earlier this year paving the way for the launch of a new Alberta sports betting market.
Many of the same names that set up shop in Ontario (Canada's first province to permit multiple private-sector iGaming operators) are expected to take bets in Alberta as well, in addition to the local, government-owned option, Play Alberta.
Another Ontario-licensed brand eyeing a new Canadian market is BetRivers. The feeling there is that Alberta, Canada’s fourth-most populous province, presents an intriguing opportunity for iGaming operators.
“Looking ahead in the near term, we’re excited about our expansion plans in Alberta, where we anticipate launching when the market opens next year,” said Richard Schwartz, chief executive officer of BetRivers-owner Rush Street Interactive, during the company’s second-quarter earnings call last week. “This market presents a significant opportunity for us to leverage our success in other North American online casino markets.”
