Alberta edges closer to commercial market as Bill 48 heads for final reading

Alberta has taken a step closer to launching its regulated commercial market following the progression of Bill 48, which is now one final reading away before being signed into law. 

The bill, which establishes the iGaming Alberta Act, advanced through the legislature’s Committee of the Whole on Wednesday, 7 May, without any amendments made. 

Currently, the province is served exclusively by monopoly lottery operator PlayAlberta, under the regulatory watch of the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) Commission. 

Alberta’s United Conservative Party (UCP) has seen little opposition to the proposal from counterparts the New Democratic Party (NDP), though the UCP’s majority in the legislature makes progression beyond the third reading all the more likely. 

If passed into law after its final reading, Bill 48 proposes that while the AGLC continue to serve as regulator of the potential new commercial market, the newly formed Alberta iGaming Corporation would oversee operations of the regulated market. 

The structure follows a similar approach to that of Ontario, where iGaming Ontario handles the industry’s operational side while the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) acts as regulator. 

Once the iGaming Alberta Act is established, online sportsbooks and casino platforms could sign contracts that would grant them permission to begin accepting bets in the province. 

Until then, Ontario remains the only Canadian province that has created a commercial market since its launch in April 2022. In that time, the market now boasts 50 licensed operators and recently posted GGR of C$3.2bn (£1.7bn) in its third-full fiscal-year. 

Alberta’s monopoly framework presents a stark contrast, with its only operator boasting less than 50% market share for online gambling in the region, while its sports betting market share could be as low as 20%, according to Candian Gaming Association CEO Paul Burns. 

Bill 48 would present Alberta with the chance to claw back wagering activity via a more competitive offering from multiple legal, licensed operators. 

Despite a lack of clarity regarding aspects such as advertising regulations at this stage, operators have begun earmarking Alberta as a potential next launch destination. 

Elsewhere, Flutter outlined its plans in its Q1 2025 earnings release, in which the FanDuel parent company noted it expects the Alberta commercial market to launch in “early 2026”. 

There is a chance Bill 48 could bring that launch date forward, but terms of contracts with operators must still be thrashed out, even if the bill is signed into law in the coming weeks. 

The post Alberta edges closer to commercial market as Bill 48 heads for final reading first appeared on EGR Intel.

 Candian province on track for a Q1 2026 launch, as proposal progresses to third reading without any amendments
The post Alberta edges closer to commercial market as Bill 48 heads for final reading first appeared on EGR Intel.