Bill 48: the iGaming Alberta Act, explained

What is Bill 48?

Bill 48 — formally titled the iGaming Alberta Act — was introduced by the Government of Alberta on March 26, 2025, passed third reading in the provincial legislature in early May 2025, and received Royal Assent on May 15, 2025. The Act establishes the legal framework for Alberta's first competitive online gambling market, replacing the previous model in which Alberta residents could only legally play real-money online games at the government-operated PlayAlberta.ca platform.

Before Bill 48, Alberta residents who wanted broader online casino or sports betting options had to use offshore-licensed operators that technically operated in a legal grey area — not specifically illegal for the player, but not regulated by Alberta either, with no recourse if disputes arose. Bill 48 changes that by creating a regulated competitive market where multiple private operators can register with the province and offer their products legally to Alberta consumers.

Parts of the Act covering operator and supplier registration came into force on June 9, 2025. AGLC opened operator registrations on January 13, 2026, and the regulated market opens to Alberta consumers on July 13, 2026.

AGLC vs AiGC: who does what

Bill 48 splits regulatory and operational responsibilities across two agencies. This is the same structural model Ontario adopted in 2022 with AGCO and iGaming Ontario — separating market regulation from market operation to eliminate conflicts of interest.

The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) is the regulator. AGLC writes the standards operators must meet, registers operators and suppliers after due-diligence checks, audits ongoing compliance, issues penalties when rules are broken, and operates the centralised self-exclusion program that integrates across all registered operators. AGLC also continues to operate PlayAlberta.ca, the government-run platform launched in 2020.

The Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) is the new Crown corporation created by Bill 48. AiGC conducts and manages the regulated market on behalf of the province, holding commercial agreements with each registered private operator. AiGC is responsible for collecting net iGaming revenue from operators and funnelling those proceeds into Alberta's general revenue fund. AiGC is structurally similar to Ontario's iGaming Ontario (iGO).

For a player, the practical implication is straightforward: AGLC is the body you appeal to if an operator behaves badly. AiGC is the body operators contract with commercially. Both report ultimately to the provincial government.

Revenue split: where the money goes

Under Bill 48, the province takes 20% of net iGaming revenue, with the remaining 80% retained by operators after expenses. This rate matches Ontario's iGaming framework and is broadly in line with established US regulated markets. The 20% provincial share is collected by AiGC and remitted to Alberta's general revenue fund, where it joins other provincial revenues used to fund public services.

Two additional allocations distinguish Alberta's framework from Ontario's. First, 2% of total Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR — the total wagered minus winnings paid back to players) is allocated to support First Nations communities. This allocation responds to concerns raised by First Nations groups, which operate existing casinos in Alberta under separate agreements with the province, about how a competitive online market might affect their gaming operations and revenue. Second, 1% of total GGR is allocated to social-responsibility and responsible-gambling initiatives, funding services like problem-gambling treatment programs, public awareness campaigns, and research.

For Alberta consumers, the bottom line is that the regulated market generates public revenue that flows back into the province — both into general government services and into specific First Nations and social-responsibility programs — rather than to offshore jurisdictions where money paid into grey-market casinos previously went.

Operator and supplier fees

The cost of entering Alberta's regulated market is meaningful but not prohibitive for established operators. Each operator pays a one-time C$50,000 application fee to AGLC when submitting their registration, followed by a C$150,000 annual registration fee once approved. The application fee covers AGLC's due-diligence and compliance-review costs; the annual fee covers ongoing regulatory oversight.

Suppliers — companies that provide services to operators rather than running casinos directly, including game studios, payment processors, identity-verification services, and other gaming-related vendors — pay smaller annual fees that depend on their subcategory: C$15,000 for major suppliers and C$3,000 for smaller categories. These fees ensure that the entire supply chain serving Alberta-facing operators is within the regulatory perimeter, not just the consumer-facing operators themselves.

For comparison, Ontario's AGCO charges similar registration fees through its Internet Gaming Operator registration framework — Alberta's fee structure closely mirrors what Ontario established in 2022.

Player protections under Bill 48

Bill 48 brings player protections that did not exist for Alberta consumers using offshore operators. The centrepiece is a centralised self-exclusion program operated by AGLC. A player who self-excludes at one AGLC-registered operator is automatically excluded from every other AGLC-registered operator for the chosen duration: six months, one year, or permanent. This is materially stronger than operator-managed self-exclusion at offshore casinos, where excluding yourself at one brand has no effect on accounts at sibling brands run by the same operator group. Players seeking immediate help can contact the AGLC Self-Exclusion Program at 1-844-468-8034.

Mandatory account-level limits must be available on every registered operator's platform. Deposit limits run on daily, weekly, and monthly cadences. Loss limits operate similarly. Session-time limits notify players when they have been logged in for a configured duration. Reality-check notifications display total time and wagering during a session at intervals the player selects. All of these tools are self-serve from the account dashboard — players do not need to contact customer support to set or modify them.

Operators must also implement AI-driven behavioural-monitoring systems that track more than 40 data points per player account, looking for patterns associated with problem gambling: rapid increases in deposit frequency, chasing losses, betting outside normal hours, prolonged sessions without breaks. When the system detects risk patterns crossing predefined thresholds, operators must surface a pop-up intervention prompt offering cooling-off periods, deposit-limit suggestions, or links to help resources. This goes beyond Ontario's current framework and is one of the stricter player-protection regimes in any regulated North American market.

A single-wager cap of C$20,000 applies under Bill 48 — operators cannot accept a single bet larger than this amount from any Alberta account. Advertising rules also restrict certain public figures from appearing in gambling promotions, following the direction Ontario set in 2024 when AGCO restricted celebrity and athlete endorsements.

How Alberta compares to Ontario

Alberta's framework closely mirrors Ontario's iGaming Ontario model, which launched April 4, 2022 and is currently the only competitive regulated private iGaming market in Canada. Both provinces use the same "conduct and manage" regulatory structure, separating regulation (AGLC / AGCO) from market operation (AiGC / iGO). Both allow multiple private-sector operators rather than a single government-run brand. Both take 20% of net iGaming revenue.

Three substantive differences as of May 2026 are worth highlighting. First, Alberta's C$20,000 single-wager cap is not present in Ontario. Second, Alberta's advertising and inducement rules are still being finalised, while Ontario has the well-established Standard 2.05 inducement-ban — which has produced significant penalties in 2025 including a C$110,000 fine against BetMGM Canada for affiliate inducement breaches and a C$350,000 fine against FanDuel for failures to report suspicious wagering patterns (the largest AGCO penalty issued to date). Third, Alberta's 2%-of-GGR First Nations allocation and 1%-of-GGR social-responsibility allocation are distinct elements not present in Ontario's framework — Ontario funnels its 20% take entirely to provincial general revenue with no specific allocations to other purposes.

For operators that already operate in both markets, the compliance burden is broadly similar — most large operators have built the technical and reporting infrastructure that meets Ontario's requirements and can extend it to Alberta with marginal additional effort.

What happens to PlayAlberta.ca?

PlayAlberta.ca, the AGLC-operated platform launched in 2020, continues to operate alongside the new private market. Bill 48 does not eliminate PlayAlberta — instead it adds private competitors. From July 13, 2026, Alberta players have access to both PlayAlberta and any number of AGLC-registered private operators.

PlayAlberta has historically been the only legal online real-money option for Alberta residents. After July 13, 2026, it becomes one option among many. The government-operated platform continues to serve players who prefer to use a province-operated brand rather than a private competitor; private operators provide broader game libraries, more competitive promotions (within the bounds of AGLC inducement rules), and typically more polished platform technology.

Offshore operators after July 13, 2026

Bill 48 changes the legal status of offshore-licensed operators that target Alberta consumers. From July 13, 2026, operators that are not registered with AGLC are not permitted to operate in Alberta, and the province has indicated AGLC will pursue enforcement against grey-market operators that continue to accept Alberta residents without registering.

Operators have been given up to three months' transition window in some circumstances to wind down Alberta-facing activity. After that transition, offshore operators that fail to register face enforcement action including cease-and-desist orders, financial penalties, and potential prosecution.

For Alberta consumers, the practical implication is that the offshore brands currently advertised to Albertans will either register with AGLC and operate as regulated entities (with the player protections, complaint paths, and tax-revenue contributions that registration brings) or exit the market entirely. Players who currently use offshore casinos for Alberta-targeted real-money play should plan the transition: check whether their preferred operator is on AGLC's published registration list, and if not, consider moving to a registered alternative before the July 13 cutover.

AGLC-registered operators for the Alberta launch

As of May 1, 2026, AGLC published its first list of approved operators. The registered operators include several of the largest brands in North American online gambling — FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, BetRivers, BallyBet, PointsBet Canada, and theScore Bet — alongside the government-operated PlayAlberta. Alberta has confirmed approximately 28 operators for the regulated market opening July 13. The list will continue to update through the launch window as additional operators complete registration.

Operator availability and registration status are sourced from AGLC's published operator list and individual operator confirmations. Players should verify current registration status on AGLC's official website before depositing funds with any operator.

How to file a complaint

If you have a dispute with an AGLC-registered operator, the recommended escalation path is sequential: start at the operator level, then escalate to AGLC, then to third-party mediators if needed.

First, contact the operator's customer support directly. Most disputes — bonus clearing questions, withdrawal delays, account verification issues — can be resolved through the operator's internal complaint process. Document the interaction: timestamps, agent names, screenshots of chat transcripts, and the exact terms of any bonuses or promotions you accepted.

Second, if the operator's response is unsatisfactory or no response is received within a reasonable window, escalate to AGLC. AGLC accepts complaints about registered iGaming operators through forms available at aglc.ca. AGLC has formal authority to investigate operator conduct, issue penalties, and (in serious cases) revoke registration. For responsible-gambling concerns specifically, contact the AGLC Self-Exclusion Program at 1-844-468-8034 or the Alberta GameSense network at 1-833-447-7523.

Third, for complaints about AGLC itself — for example, if you believe AGLC has not adequately addressed a regulatory matter — the Ombudsperson of Alberta accepts complaints about provincial government bodies including AGLC. The Ombudsperson's office investigates administrative complaints and can recommend corrective action.

Player-fund disputes can additionally be escalated to third-party mediators including AskGamblers and Casino.guru. These platforms have no formal regulatory authority in Alberta, but they maintain public complaint records that affect operator reputations and have historically extracted favourable outcomes for players in disputes that operators initially refused to resolve.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and further reading

• Bill 48: iGaming Alberta Act — Legislative Assembly of Alberta (PDF)
• Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) — official site
• Alberta Passes iGaming Alberta Act To Legalize Open Market — Canadian Gaming Business
• Alberta Government Bets on Competitive iGaming Model — Blakes
• Navigating Alberta's iGaming future: Key takeaways from Bill 48 — Gowling WLG
• PlayAlberta — the existing AGLC-operated platform