Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) — How It Regulates iGaming in Alberta

The Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) is a new crown agency that oversees the day-to-day operations of provincially licensed gaming operators. Its oversight authority comes from the iGaming Alberta Act (iAA), which allows it to develop, organize, conduct, and analyze online lottery schemes on behalf of the provincial government.

Keep reading to find out more about the AiGC’s watchdog role in Alberta’s iGaming market.

Understanding the Role of the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC)

Since 1996, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis (AGLC) has been regulating all gambling activity in the province. From land-based casinos to VLTs to bingo halls to lottery schemes, as well as the government-backed site PlayAlberta, the AGLC exercised regulatory and oversight roles over all gambling activity in the Wild Rose Country.

But after the passage of Bill 48 in May 2025, expected to come into effect in mid-2026, a new Crown entity, the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), came into existence.

Guided by the provisions set by the Alberta iGaming Act, the AiGC’s role in Alberta iGaming includes:

• Inspecting and managing the iGaming operators and suppliers registry, ensuring compliance with provincial and federal laws
• Reducing the market share of unlicensed operators in the province
• Promoting and enforcing responsible gambling with respect to Alberta casinos and Alberta sportsbooks
• Setting up and overseeing an Alberta-specific anti-money laundering program that aligns with the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act
• Collaborating with the AGLC, alongside other provincial and territorial governments, to offer a safe, transparent, and consistent iGaming environment
• Generating and submitting annual and audited financial reports to the iGaming minister

If this iGamMinisteret management role sounds familiar, it’s because it closely follows Ontario, Canada’s first province to support a fully competitive and commercial iGaming environment. Similar to iGaming Ontario’s role in the province, the AiGC serves as Alberta’s overarching regulatory body, responsible for helping operators provide the safest environment and best experience for online gambling.

It is important to note that, through an Order in Council issued on June 4, 2025, the AiGC and its obligations were officially proclaimed into force. This enabled the Minister in charge to issue the corporation’s mandate and activate it, enabling it to begin its work.

As a result, an Interim CEO, Dan Keene, was appointed in January 2026 to get things going. He will serve for a maximum of two years, after which the governing board, which includes 7 members independent from the Alberta government and the AiGC management, may appoint a permanent CEO, subject to the Minister’s authorizatMinister’sesent, key AiGC management positions are being filled as we await market launch by the start of summer 2026.

AiGC vs. AGLC: How are They Different?

Based on Alberta’s new online gambling framework, the AGLC and the AiGC will perform distinct functions in the industry. The AGLC will continue its role as the province’s provincial regulator for the province’s gambling sector. Under the Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Act, which includes:

• Licensing and inspecting of all charitable gaming activities, including bingos, raffles, pull ticket sales, and casinos
• Owning and managing all provincially owned gaming activities, including the state-run site, PlayAlberta
• Registering all employees working in Alberta’s gaming industry
• Ensuring all games at licensed establishments run with integrity
• Educating Alberta players on responsible gambling through the GameSense brand
• Monitoring and investigating potential criminal behavior in the province’s gaming industry
• The AiGC, on the other hand, will take up the management role, specifically over the commercial side of the online gambling industry. In other words, it manages all internet gaming offerings from licensed operators, making sure they comply with their operating agreements.

To better understand the unique roles of the AGLC and AiGC, check out the table below:

As per how things stand right now, Alberta is clearly using Ontario’s experience as a guide. With over 70%of the province’s online gambling activity taking place at offshore sites, Alberta seeks to give its residents plenty of regulated options — all while ensuring player safeguards are in place and redirecting revenues to stay within the regulated system. The same thing happened in Ontario when it launched its open competitive market on April 4, 2022.

Given Ontario’s model, which has been experiencing an over 30% year-over-year growth increase over the last four years, it’s clear Alberta’s iGaming future is on track to become one of Canada’s fastest-growing iGaming markets.

Comparing AiGC and iGaming Ontario

In open iGaming markets, Ontario stands out as the first Canadian province to implement this structure. Once the market went live in April 2022, licensed Ontario casinos and sportsbooks, which held valid licenses from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), could legally offer their online gambling services within the province.

These same AGCO-licensed operators were also required to enter into operational agreements with iGaming Ontario, a separate entity formed in July 2021. From its launch in July 2021 through May 11, 2025, the crown entity served as a subsidiary of AGCO. That meant it reported to the AGCO, which in turn reported to the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG).

But a conflict of interest arose, as raised by Ontario’s Auditor General. The issue, in simple terms, was questioning how objectively the AGCO could function as both an Ontario gambling regulator and an iGaming revenue manager, without one role influencing the other. In other words, could an organisation truly regulate an industry fairly while also being responsible for generating revenue from it?

And that’s when the iGaming Ontario Act came into existence. As part of the Building Ontario for You Act, passed in 2024, the iGO became an independent entity under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Gaming.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), which is responsible for Ontario’s retail casinos, also reports to the same Ministry, leaving the AGCO to focus entirely on market regulation and enforcement.

As for the iGO’s role, it maintains the same conduct-and-manage role, but with a more strengthened governance and accountability structure. That way, optimizing its resources to respond to changing market conditions and management becomes easier.

While the Alberta iGaming Corporation and iGaming Ontario share many similarities, there are notable differences worth noting. These include:

• The AiGC separates itself from the AGLC right off the bat, unlike the AGCO and iGO’s relationship at the start. This way, there’s a clear divide between market regulation and management from the onset.
• Alberta’s version launched with strict advertising rules. Instead of waiting to deal with the high-volume saturation of massive marketing efforts from private operators across the province, as happened once Ontario’s market launched, Alberta’s provincial government has already put in place restrictions on how, where, and to whom licensed private operators can market their products.
• Lastly, the AiGC already includes a centralized self-exclusion (CSE) registry. In Ontario, following the release of new self-exclusion guidelines published in December 2025, the iGO hopes to launch its own CSE system before the end of the first half of 2026. In the meantime, all licensed operators in Ontario offer their own self-exclusion programs. That means players must manually self-exclude from every Ontario sports betting site or casino they use. With a CSE system, a single request cuts access to all iGaming sites licensed with the provincial regulator

For the last four years of Ontario iGaming existence, Alberta has had the luxury of watching the province navigate the early challenges of running an open iGaming market. As Alberta continues to establish its new iGaming framework, it’s reassuring that the provincial government has used that knowledge wisely.

What Role Does the AiGC Play in the Operator Registration Process?

Jan. 14, 2026, marks the date when the AGLC published the ‘Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming’. This bulletin sets out key rules for private operators interested in joining Alberta’s soon-to-launch iGaming market. And with it, the regulatory body officially launched registration for Alberta sports betting sites and casinos.

iGaming registration in Alberta is only possible via a three-part process with the AGLC, before entering an operating agreement with the AiGC. Likewise, iGaming operators must pay the relevant registration fees, which include:

• A one-time $50,000 registration fee + an annual $150,000 fee for iGaming operators
• An annual $15,000 fee for platform providers (no application fees)
• A $3,000 annual charge for iGaming suppliers and service providers

Only when an iGaming operator and supplier completes the three-part process with the AGLC can they sign a commercial agreement with the AiGC, a required step before the operator goes live.

Worth noting is that private operators moving through the registration process are free to begin pre-registrations and to advertise their offerings to those who opt in. PointsBet Canada and BetRivers made headlines in February 2026 as the first two formerly offshore operators to kick off pre-registrations in Alberta. As the mid-2026 launch approaches, we expect more operators to follow suit and move through the process in the coming months.

Alberta’s New iGaming Revenue Distribution Model Explained

Even without the launch of Alberta iGaming, the province’s gambling industry generates hundreds of millions of dollars on an annual basis. For the 2023-2024 financial year, the province’s charitable gaming model alone raised $409.3 million. That includes land-based casinos, bingo halls, pull-ticket events, as well as PlayAlberta, the only currently regulated gambling site.

With the expected launch of its iGaming sector later this year, lawmakers predict the AiGC will raise around $75 million within the 2026-2027 financial year. That translates into the AGLC generating revenue of around $2.4 billion each year between 2025 and 2029.

So, how will the AGLC hit these numbers? It all stems from the new iGaming framework’s taxing model. Alberta’s online gambling laws allow the AiGC to keep a 20% share of 97% of the province’s gross gaming revenue.

A 3% share will be deducted in advance, with 2% going to First Nation communities that own or operate land-based casinos and 1% to social responsibility programmes. The latter includes proarch and treatment.

The AiGC is responsible for returning gambling revenue to the community. Unlike the previous revenue distribution model under the AGLC, where revenue went directly to charities, Alberta’s new iGaming framework will use its revenue to fund broader community services that Albertans rely on day to day. What those are haven’t been fully specified yet, but the intention to make the impact felt beyond just charitable donations is clear.

AiGC Responsible Gambling Oversight Role

One thing Dale Nally, the Minister in charge of Alberta iGaming, made clear from the moment he tabled Bill 48 was his intention to implement more player safeguards. The idea was never to introduce iCasino and online sportsbooks to the province. But since they already existed, claiming a 70% share of the iGaming market at the time Bill 48 was introduced, the goal was to make sure Albertans are gambling online in a safe, protected environment.

Both the AGLC and AiGC are tasked with implementing and overseeing responsible gambling programs in the province. The AGLC focuses on setting the regulatory standards around player protection.

It also runs the Gamesense responsible gambling program, an RG tool it operates with the help of Alberta’s Health Services. All Alberta casinos, including PlayAlberta and land-based venues, have a Gamesense info centre, where players can self-exclude and set personal limits, and operators can get materials to train their staff. An Alberta problem gambling help line is also available.

The AiGC, on the other hand, handles the day-to-day compliance and promotion of RG tools. Under the iAA, this entity will be responsible for the centralized self-exclusion registry as well as ensuring all licensed operators have and maintain the RG Check accreditation. Together, the two bodies create a layered safety net — one that holds operators accountable from a licensing standpoint, while actively working to protect players at the market level.

The Future of iGaming Regulation and the AiGC in Alberta

Alberta’s new iGaming framework comes in response to growing concerns about the size of its unregulated market. Reports indicate that grey-market operators currently dominate the province’s iGaming landscape, prompting the government to pass more robust iGaming legislation.

Once the new gambling laws come into effect later in 2026, private operators will go live in the open market, giving Albertans plenty of safe, regulated options to choose from. With strong player protections, strict advertising standards, and a clear division of responsibilities already in place, Alberta is well-positioned for a successful launch. At the centre of it all is the Alberta iGaming Corporation, the driving force behind making Alberta’s regulated iGaming market a reality.