ALBERTA — The impending launch of Alberta’s regulated online casino and sports betting market has already drawn massive interest from the gaming industry, with 33 companies submitting applications to operate in the province.
With a launch date officially set for July 13, Alberta is poised to become the second Canadian province—following Ontario in April 2022—to open its digital gambling borders to private commercial operators.
According to Service Alberta Minister Dave Nally, out of the 33 operators that have applied for a license, 20 have already paid their required deposits. Major industry players are already making their moves, with DraftKings recently opening pre-registration for Alberta residents last week.
While the new regulated market will impose a 20% tax rate on operators—promising a significant boost in provincial revenue—Minister Nally stressed that consumer safety remains the primary driver behind the regulation. The province estimates that roughly 70% of current iGaming revenue flows into the hands of unregulated, offshore operators, despite the presence of the government-owned Play Alberta platform.
“If there was a red button that I could push that would stop online gambling, I would push that button,” Nally told the Edmonton Journal. “But it doesn’t exist.”
Regulating the market allows the province to bring these activities out of the shadows, enforcing strict safety standards and responsible gambling protocols. Nally specifically highlighted Penn Entertainment’s Canadian sports media brand, theScore, as a prime example of a “responsible operator” eager to enter the space.
Penn Entertainment has deep roots in the Canadian market and continues to operate under the highly popular theScore Bet brand. Following a recent transition back to theScore Bet in the U.S. after concluding its ESPN Bet partnership, Penn is heavily focused on the Canadian expansion. The sports media platform boasts approximately 4 million monthly active users across North America.
According to Penn Entertainment CEO Jay Snowden, the company plans to invest between $15 million and $20 million to support its rollout in Alberta, emphasizing that early customer acquisition is vital for long-term success.
“It’s a really important market and we’ve all learned through the years that those initial signups you get, those are the most valuable customer cohorts that you end up with,” Snowden stated during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call. “So we gotta make sure we launch successfully in Alberta like we did in Ontario, and when you do, you tend to hold onto your market share much more effectively.”
As the July 13 launch date rapidly approaches, Albertans can expect a flurry of promotional activity and brand launches as North America’s top sportsbooks and online casinos vie for early dominance in Canada’s newest regulated market.
Leo Falsafi is a digital marketing veteran and senior journalist at Virlan.co, where he covers the intersection of digital marketing, gaming, and breaking US trending news. With nearly two decades of hands-on experience in SEO and digital strategy, Leo has consulted for and scaled hundreds of companies. His deep industry roots allow him to deliver sharp, fact-checked insights and analysis on the trends shaping today's digital landscape.