Alberta Bets on Speed and Competition in New iGaming Market

If Ontario’s iGaming launch was a slow-burn marathon, Alberta’s is shaping up to be an Olympic-level sprint. Just two weeks after Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) officially opened the doors for applications on Jan. 14, we already have our first new pre-licensee.

On Feb. 2, PointsBet Canada became the first private operator to announce it received the green light to begin advertising and pre-registering Alberta residents. While the “full” market launch isn’t expected until later this spring, the message from Edmonton is clear: If you’re already vetted in Ontario, we are prepared to roll out the red carpet.

Rewarding Reciprocity

The pure speed of the PointsBet announcement, less than 20 days from application to a nod to begin marketing and signups, would seem to confirm Minister Dale Nally’s promise of a much more streamlined process than the one witnessed in Ontario in the fall and winter of 2021. By leveraging the data and background checks already conducted by those Ontario regulators, Alberta will be able to effectively “fast-track” the biggest names in the business.

For operators like PointsBet, which saw a 26% revenue jump in their Ontario business last year, Alberta represents a real chance to replicate that success in the market with the highest GDP per capita in Canada.

Compounding the Clean Break

One very important difference that will put a brake on the speed of this licensing, though, is the AGLC’s Clean Break rule. Unlike the transition period in Ontario, where gray market sites were allowed to keep their lights on and servers running while all the paperwork was processed, Alberta is demanding a hard reset.

This means that any gray market operator operating in the province must shut down operations before beginning the licensing process. All player funds must be paid out, all future bets voided and refunded, and all bonus offers and free play scrubbed.

Some sports betting and Canada online casino operators like PointsBet saw the writing on the wall after the Ontario licensing process and never took a gray market bet in Alberta. That will allow them to leapfrog some of the competition and secure a pre-registration in weeks, not months or even years. Others may have some explaining to do.

The Cost of Competition

Alberta is positioning itself as a premium, high-standard jurisdiction with unlimited licensing. This means if you are able to pass their tough regulatory bar, are willing to pay a relatively steep licensing fee, and think of a 22.4% effective tax rate as a fair price for a stable, regulated market, then the more the merrier.

To be fair, the $50,000 application fee and $150,000 annual license fee pale in comparison with some US states, but Alberta only has a population of slightly less than 5 million. If Ontario’s 80+ gambling sites and nearly 50 licensed operators are any indication, it will be a crowded trade.

North American Blueprint?

While Maine's new iGaming market is currently bogged down in federal lawsuits over “exclusive” tribal rights, Alberta has chosen the path of radical competition. By inviting any and all in the industry who think they have what it takes to “pre-register” their way into the province, Alberta is betting that, much like Ontario, a crowded but transparent market will be the best defense against the looming offshore black market.

PointsBet may have been the first to raise their flag in Wild Rose Country, but they certainly won’t be the last. As we head towards the 2026 NHL playoffs and an official launch of a newly reimagined iGaming market in the province, the race to capture Alberta’s gambling market has already begun.