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Alberta Launches Regulated Online Poker Market
Alberta has become the second Canadian province after Ontario to launch a regulated online gambling market. Residents of the province will now be able to use licensed poker rooms. This article explores how many sites are expected to operate in Alberta and under what conditions.
Alberta follows Ontario's lead
On July 13, 2026, Alberta officially opened its regulated iGaming market, giving residents access to a wide range of websites from reputable brands with local licenses.
The market was established under Bill 48 (the iGaming Alberta Act), which was passed in 2025. Under the new framework, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) is responsible for licensing and regulatory oversight, while the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) manages the province's commercial agreements with operators.
Licensed operators should comply with strict responsible gambling requirements, including participation in a centralized self-exclusion program, deposit and playtime limits, and systems designed to detect and respond to signs of problem gambling.
Alberta's regulatory framework closely mirrors the model introduced in Ontario. The licensing standards for operators and suppliers were released in January 2026, allowing companies to complete the registration process before the market officially went live.
To obtain and maintain a license, gaming operators must also meet several financial requirements, including:
- A $50,000 registration fee is required upon application.
- The annual licensing fee is $150,000.
- The annual fee is $15,000 for gaming software providers.
- The annual fee is $3,000 for technology and service providers.
In addition, licensed operators pay a tax of approximately 20% of their gross gaming revenue (GGR).
Before the reform, the only legal online gambling operator in Alberta was PlayAlberta. Consequently, residents of the province gambled heavily on offshore sites. According to government estimates, these sites controlled approximately 70% of the province's online gambling market.
Which operators obtained a license
By the time the market opened, AGLC had registered several dozen operators and gaming software providers. Among them were three brands with their own poker rooms:
- BetMGM.
- FanDuel (PokerStars).
- BetRivers.
Although none of these companies has announced plans to launch dedicated poker rooms in Alberta yet, they are the most likely candidates to become the province's first regulated online poker operators this year.
GGPoker and 888poker have also previously announced plans to launch operations in Alberta.
Impact on online poker in Canada
The launch of Alberta's regulated iGaming market marks an important step forward for online poker in Canada. For the first time, players in the province will have access to locally licensed poker rooms that operate under a consistent regulatory framework and are required to meet player protection standards. If Alberta's regulated market proves successful, it could encourage other provinces to follow suit. Among them, Quebec, with a population of nearly 9 million, remains one of the most attractive candidates for future regulation.
Player liquidity will be one of the biggest challenges. Ontario has a population of more than 15 million, compared to roughly 5 million in Alberta. If operators are restricted to provincial player pools, Alberta's online poker ecosystem is likely to feature lower traffic, fewer active game tables, and smaller tournament guarantees than Ontario's.
For that reason, players hope Alberta and Ontario will eventually adopt a shared player pool. Combining liquidity between the two provinces would make regulated online poker in Canada more attractive to players compared to offshore poker rooms.
