Image Source: Geoff Zochodne
Key Takeaways:
- Alberta is set to launch a competitive regulated online gambling market later this year, learning from Ontario’s experience to avoid early mistakes.
- The province will have a centralized self-exclusion system and clear refund rules to prevent bettors from exploiting loopholes.
- New rules require operators to stop all unregulated activity immediately, limiting gray-market transition periods.
- Alberta’s iGaming market will feature multiple private-sector operators, including bet365, DraftKings, and FanDuel.
- The province aims to address issues that arose in Ontario, such as concerns about self-exclusion and gray-market operators.
Introduction to Alberta’s iGaming Market
The Western Canadian province of Alberta is preparing to launch a competitive regulated online gambling market, and it’s benefiting from being a second mover. As Geoff Zochodne, a journalist, notes, "Being second isn’t necessarily a bad thing." Alberta can learn from the experiences of Ontario, which launched Canada’s first competitive iGaming market in April 2022. With around 50 iGaming operators authorized to offer sports betting, iCasino, and poker, Ontario has paved the way for Alberta to avoid early mistakes.
Lessons Learned from Ontario
Ontario’s iGaming market has been live for over three years, and Alberta is taking note of the lessons learned. For example, Ontario’s regulators had to update their standards to address concerns about self-exclusion, where players were using the feature to avoid losses. As Zochodne tweets, "Here’s an example of a lesson learned in Ontario that Alberta will use for its forthcoming iGaming market. In ON, there were concerns people were self-excluding to avoid losses, and so the regs were updated. AB’s iGaming regulator is going to have that fix in place at launch." Alberta’s iGaming regulator is incorporating these lessons into its own standards, ensuring a smoother launch.
New Rules and Regulations
The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) has published its "Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming," which will apply to private-sector operators in the province’s forthcoming iGaming market. One key requirement is that all regulated operators must cease all unregulated gaming activities, which will limit the transition period for gray-market operators. As the standards state, "Registered Operators and registered Goods or Services Suppliers must not enter into any agreements or arrangements with any unregistered person who is providing any goods or services that would otherwise require registration in Alberta." This move aims to prevent gray-market operators from taking their time to join the regulated market.
Centralized Self-Exclusion System
Alberta plans to launch its iGaming market with a centralized self-exclusion system, allowing bettors to ban themselves from all iGaming sites in the province simultaneously. This feature will be available on Day 1, unlike in Ontario, where it is still in development. The AGLC’s standards dedicate a section to the centralized self-exclusion program, stating that all registered operators "must not permit a person who is enrolled in AGLC’s self-exclusion program to enter or remain in their iGaming site." Operators will also be required to promote the self-exclusion program and allow players to easily access the tool through their site.
Refund Rules and Self-Exclusion
Alberta’s iGaming regulator has also established clear refund rules to prevent bettors from exploiting loopholes. If a player self-excludes before the commencement of an event, operators must refund their wager. However, if a player self-excludes after the event has started, operators are not required to refund the wager. As the standards state, "Operators are not required to refund a player’s wager if the player enrolls in a self-exclusion program after the commencement of an event or series of events on which the outcome of the wager is determined." This rule aims to prevent players from using self-exclusion to void losing bets and potentially win by betting on the other side using another operator’s site.
Conclusion
Alberta’s iGaming market is set to launch later this year, and the province is taking a proactive approach to addressing issues that arose in Ontario. By incorporating lessons learned and establishing clear rules and regulations, Alberta aims to create a safe and competitive online gambling market. With multiple private-sector operators on board, including bet365, DraftKings, and FanDuel, Alberta’s iGaming market is poised to be a success. As Zochodne notes, "The main thing bettors need to know is that the province continues to move toward the launch of a competitive iGaming market, wherein private-sector operators (e.g. bet365) can come under provincial regulation and taxation."
https://www.covers.com/industry/alberta-rules-ontario-experience-sports-betting-igaming-lessons-learned-january-2026
