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The main advantage of being the second Canadian province to launch a regulated online gambling market is that a blueprint, marked by successes and shortcomings, has already been laid out.
For Alberta, which will open its privatized iGaming ecosystem on July 13, getting off on the right foot has largely been characterized by how the province will use the benefit of hindsight to its advantage.
The Ontario iGaming market, while vastly exceeding market performance expectations over its first four years, has also prompted several interesting discussions around advertising, responsible gambling, operator dynamics, and grey-market conversion.
Each talking point has proven invaluable for Alberta’s iGaming prospects, as the province attempts to hit the ground running in under a month’s time.
Lesson #1: Be Proactive, not Reactive with Advertising Rules
Ontario was initially very relaxed regarding its advertising policies, namely around athlete and celebrity endorsements. The promotion of gambling materials through famous faces drew the ire of politicians, non-profit organizations, and regular citizens, alike.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) eventually introduced a ban on celebrity endorsements, but not until February 28, 2024 – nearly two years after launch.
Alberta is not content to make the same mistake, with Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis (AGLC) announcing a similar restriction this past April.
While by no means perfect, particularly as it relates to questions regarding in-game signage, professional team and league sponsorships, and branded television segments, Alberta is kicking off with a much stronger advertising baseline than its predecessor to the east.
Lesson #2: Responsible Gambling is Structural, not Supplementary
When Ontario went live, the province was more prepared with its responsible gambling framework than its advertising framework.
In particular, all operators entering the province through iGaming Ontario (iGO) needed to achieve RG Check Accreditation, a consumer protection measure provided by the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC).
Announced before launch, the “RG Check” requirement ensured that all iGaming platforms adhered to the nine standards and 48 criteria outlined by the RGC, covering areas such as product design, marketing communications, and player assistance.
Alberta adopted the same accreditation requirement in February. The province has since filled in other glaring gaps in the Ontario responsible gambling model.
In April, the AGLC created an omni-channel self-exclusion program for voluntary opt-outs of all gaming accounts and facilities. Ontario introduced its own equivalent, BetGuard, in May.
Alberta has also earmarked 1% of gross gaming revenue for social responsibility initiatives, including responsible gambling programs and treatment services. Ontario doesn’t specify such a number.
Lesson #3: Market Saturation is Inevitable, but Sustainability is Key
Ontario, like any major iGaming jurisdiction, has shown that the top end of the market is typically reserved for the industry’s biggest names (think BetMGM, FanDuel, bet365).
Canada’s most populous province has routinely supported north of 40 operators since opening, but has also seen its fair share of exits. Casumo became the seventh operator to depart at the end of April.
For Alberta, which lists 47 approved operators on the AGLC’s latest registration report (as of June 12), the looming reality of a top-heavy market is beyond the province’s control.
The lesson here then becomes a question of how many operators the market can realistically sustain.
Perhaps the answer, or at least part of it, will be dictated by Alberta’s affluent population of roughly 5 million, characterized as a strong labour force with greater-than-average spending power.
Lesson #4: Grey Market Migration Can’t Be Expedited
The process of migrating players from the grey market to the regulated one was gradual and deliberate in Ontario.
According to the latest figures from an AGCO-commissioned Ipsos survey, 83.7% of respondents who gambled online in Ontario in 2025 reported using a regulated site. Notably, that number is down from the 86.4% that iGaming Ontario reported in 2024.
On a positive note, that number was 70% in favour of unregulated platforms prior to the regulated market launch in Ontario.
This now sets the benchmark for migrating players from the grey market to legal Alberta online casinos. It’s by no means a competition, but what the AGLC and iGaming Alberta must understand is that market channelization does not happen overnight, nor is it always linear.
