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The regulated Alberta iGaming market doesn’t open until July 13, but that doesn’t mean the competition for potential customers’ dollars hasn’t already begun.
As of this week, 47 apps have received conditional approvals from Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis to operate in Alberta as of July 13. But those who have received their provisional go-aheads are already free to advertise the coming launches of their platforms.
Just this week, billboard ads for the Ontario-based Betty platform were seen in Edmonton’s north side, just a short drive from AGLC headquarters.
But Alberta, the second Canadian province to launch a regulated iGaming market, has learned a lot from the first. The good and bad of Ontario’s system have informed Alberta regulators, and that’s particularly true when it comes to advertising.
While ads, from online to print to billboards, are permitted in Alberta, it’s far from a case of anything goes. There are strict rules on who can appear in ads and who they must target.
Dale Nally, the provincial minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, is overseeing the establishment of the iGaming market. He said that with unregulated, offshore sites taking millions out of the province on an annual basis, there was no choice but to follow Ontario’s lead.
“You have a choice between offering a more safe, more reliable gambling market, like Ontario is doing, like we’ll be doing,” said Nally. “I think that is the path forward.”
And the “safe” and “reliable” edicts are reflected in the rules that govern advertising,
In fact, the Alberta rules are in flux; on June 18, AGLC issued an update to its Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming.
So, what does AGLC forbid?
1. No general advertising can refer to bonuses or “inducements”
A billboard can’t boast about a welcome bonus or free spins at an Alberta online casino. But those bonuses can be advertised in direct campaigns.
What does that mean? If adults opt in to receive ads, then those bonus offers can be communicated to them.
2. No ad can promote “excessive play”
No videos showing spin after spin after spin, or a commercial depicting someone making a long series of baseball bets.
We’ve seen many iGaming ads utilize movie stars and celebrity athletes. Those aren’t allowed in Alberta, with one exception. If Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid is asked to revisit his 2025 campaign for BetMGM’s Ontario market, which promoted responsible gaming, that’s fine.
The “mullet over” campaign advised users to think twice about gambling. Those who were thinking over their bets grew hockey hair — aka the mullet — as they contemplated their bets. But if McDavid or any other celebrity pushes gambling or sports betting in Alberta, that’s not allowed.
3. No ad can in any way be aimed at those under 18
That means no cartoon characters and no endorsers who are celebrities among the teen set. That could put the use of pop-music stars into question, as the teen market is a major part of their audience.
The strictest rules, though, revolve around the protection of minors. The age of majority in Alberta is 18 years of age. Any promotions that could in any way be taken as being aimed at minors are verboten. AGLC reserves the right to pull ads if it feels the operators are flouting the rules.
But it’s not just the who and what; it’s the where. According to the recently updated regulations, iGaming sites cannot “appear on billboards or other outdoor displays that are directly adjacent to schools or other primarily youth-oriented locations.”
They also can’t appear in publications or websites where the majority of the audience is made up of teens or children.
4. No ad can suggest financial prosperity through gambling
And, as more and more families are facing the economic crunch and the realities of inflation, no gambling ads can suggest that betting is a path to financial prosperity. Ads cannot “encourage play as a means of recovering past gaming or other financial losses.”
As well, they cannot make the user seem more attractive. So, that’s a big no to a suave Sean Connery as James Bond in the white dinner jacket, playing baccarat and covering the losses of the attractive star across the table.
While the ads are heavily regulated, they are in Alberta to stay.
“There’s no stopping it,” said Nally. “This is not North Korea. We can’t shut down the internet, so online gambling is here. The question is, how do you make it safer, more responsible?”
