Market Watch: Alberta government releases new iGaming regulations and opens registration

On January 13, Alberta’s government published detailed regulations and other key documents to implement new legislation establishing Canada’s second competitive market for online gambling.

In a series of coordinated steps, the Alberta government first published an “order in council” to bring the iGaming Alberta Act, as passed by the provincial legislature last May, into formal effect, and then released a series of more specific rules and guidance documents to flesh out the new regulatory regime.

Among the documents published by the government or the province’s gambling authority, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), were amendments to Alberta’s gambling regulations to set new rules on advertising, plus a detailed set of technical and operational standards specifically for sports betting and online casino games.

The state of gambling regulation in Canada: Alberta follows in the footsteps of Ontario

Publication of the implementing regulations and standards marked a critical step toward launching a second competitive iGaming market in Canada, with Alberta following Ontario.

Although various  offshore operators are active, Alberta’s regulated market has so far been limited to AGLC’s government-run PlayAlberta platform. Industry groups have long seen Alberta as the province most likely to replicate Ontario’s liberalised model.

Led by the Ministry for Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, the government spent years consulting the industry on policy options.

Passage of implementing legislation in May 2025 confirmed the government’s intent, though the iGaming Alberta Act provided little detail beyond creating a new corporation to “conduct and manage” online gambling with private partners under federal law. The new standards, regulations and guidance documents provide much clearer information about how the Alberta market will function in practice.

Why should you care?

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With a slowdown in U.S. sports betting and iGaming legislation, Alberta presents the largest near-term new-market opportunity in North America, expected to reach US$800 m in annual revenue by year three, according to Vixio experts. 

Ontario’s competitive market has been a global success, and Alberta could replicate it, encouraging other provinces to liberalise beyond government-run lottery corporations.

Alberta’s new regulations largely mirror Ontario’s, as industry groups had advocated, easing market entry for operators already active in Canada’s largest province. Key areas - game design, permitted sports wagering, advertising standards, supplier registration, and independent testing, among others - are closely aligned.

However, some important differences remain around areas such as  responsible gaming, self-exclusion, taxes and fees, and information security, partly because Ontario’s outcomes-based approach is less prescriptive than Alberta’s. 

Now you’re up-to-speed, what’s your next step? Vixio’s Technical Compliance Tool is ready now

Among other things, operators will be required to submit a gap analysis comparing their current controls, processes and technology to the AGLC standards and provide evidence they have developed a plan to address any gaps. 

To aid in this process, a fully modularised version of the AGLC standards have been added to Vixio’s Technical Compliance Tool, enabling operators and suppliers to assess the Alberta requirements side-by-side against those of Ontario and other established iGaming markets. We’ve mapped the technical requirements you will need to closely analyse as you to prepare to certify, and launch your product to market. 

First launched in September 2024, Vixio’s Technical Compliance Tool provides a consolidated, easy-to-use view of the most critical technical requirements and regulatory guidance for regulated online gambling markets, including Alberta’s newly released standards.

With 11 dedicated modules covering game design and certification, platforms, player account management, responsible gambling, KYC, sportsbook, live casino, change management, and information security, the Tool gives you the advantage of continuous market additions - ensuring you stay ready and informed as regulations evolve.

With Vixio’s Technical Compliance Tool, you can:

 ✅ Access Alberta’s requirements today  

✅ Reduce research time to simplify delivery of gap analysis and Control Activity Matrix as required under the Alberta regulations  

✅ Minimise certification risk and avoid late-stage surprises 

✅ Stay ahead as Alberta moves from regulation to launch 

✅ Gain the advantage of continuous market additions, ensuring you stay ready and informed

Want to see how it works?

The Vixio team will be at ICE in Barcelona this week - come and say hello and speak to our on-the-ground Technical Compliance experts - we’ll be at stand E522! Get in touch to pre-book an in-person meeting, or, if you’re not attending book a demo with a member of the Vixio team, and they’ll walk you through it virtually.