What changed on July 13, 2026
The Government of Alberta's iGaming fact sheet, dated July 14, 2026, states that the province's regulated online market officially launched on July 13, 2026. Before that date, private online casinos had no route to operate within provincial oversight.
Two bodies divide the work. The Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) manages market operations. It develops, signs and oversees operating agreements with private operators. Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) regulates the market and enforces compliance. AGLC sets the standards that apply to AiGC and to every registered operator.
For a private operator to run legally in Alberta, the fact sheet lists three conditions:
- register with AGLC;
- enter into an operating agreement with AiGC;
- meet requirements on game integrity, fairness, player protection and preventing underage gambling.
Play is also restricted by location. AGLC's standards require registered operators to accept only players physically in Alberta. They must block play when a location cannot be verified.
Checking a site against the directory
AiGC keeps a directory of registered online gambling sites, reached from its player pages. AiGC's own wording is plain: if an operator does not appear in the directory, it is not regulated. At launch, AiGC said 22 sites had been approved. On October 7, 2026, the directory listed 36.
Approved operators also display the AiGC logo. Like a blaze on a trail, it is a mark worth looking for, but the directory is the record to confirm against.
AGLC publishes its own searchable registry of registered entities. Filtering by the class "iGaming - Operator" shows each company's legal name, its registration expiry date, and the site names or domains it runs. This helps match a familiar brand to the company behind it.
Play Alberta, the province's own site
Play Alberta is presented on AGLC's website, and all of its revenue goes to the Government of Alberta's General Revenue Fund. It offers casino-style games, live dealer table games, instant games, lottery and sports betting. AGLC's May 2026 guidance describes it as the only registered operator currently allowed to offer lottery on behalf of the Western Canada Lottery Corporation.
AGLC's Play Alberta page still calls it the only regulated online gambling site in the province. That wording predates the July 2026 launch. Play Alberta was not listed in AiGC's directory of private registered sites when it was checked on October 7, 2026.
Age, and the protections operators must offer
The legal gambling age in Alberta is 18, online and in casinos. Under the Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act, no minor may enter or remain on an online gambling site, and no one may help them do so. Operators must run a program to identify and exclude minors.
The fact sheet also lists what each registered operator must provide:
- connection to AGLC's centralized self-exclusion system;
- tools to set spending and time limits;
- access to the player's own transaction history;
- steps to identify and respond to high-risk play;
- a check that players confirm they are fit to play.
AiGC works with the Responsible Gambling Council so that every approved site completes RG Check accreditation.
Self-exclusion
AGLC's Self-Exclusion Program is enrolled online only, at selfexclusion.ca. According to AGLC's program brochure, a person chooses one of three scopes: Alberta casinos and racing entertainment centres, regulated online platforms, or both.
Durations are six months, one year, two years or three years. The exclusion starts immediately and cannot be cancelled or shortened. Only the person themselves can enrol.
The online option covers regulated online gambling in Alberta. Questions go to se@aglc.ca or 1-844-468-8034.
Where to find help
211 Alberta is free, confidential and open around the clock. Call or text 211, or use the routes AiGC lists, for referrals to gambling support.
The Addiction Helpline (Recovery Alberta) at 1-866-332-2322 is toll-free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
More on limits and support is gathered in Play safe. This guide's main work remains the eight casinos in and around Calgary, collected in the field notes.