Bill 48 (the iGaming Alberta Act) cleared its third reading on May 7 and received Royal Assent on May 15, 2025. It will come into force on proclamation and create a Crown agent – the Alberta iGaming Corporation – to contract with private-sector casinos and sportsbooks. At the same time, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) will keep its role as a regulator.
Key powers written into the Act include:
The authority to “enter into agreements with other provinces or territories to jointly manage online lottery schemes,” and
An explicit requirement that all iGaming advertising comply with forthcoming regulations, with breaches prosecutable as offences.
Launch timelines remain fluid, but industry commentators expect Alberta to launch its official iGaming market in early 2026.
Cross Provincial Ad-versity: Why Ontario Licensees Should Care
Because Bill 48 invites formal cooperation deals with other jurisdictions, an AGCO investigation in Ontario could soon trigger parallel queries in Alberta and vice versa. It could also reduce the regulatory compliance burden through factors like shared player-protection data, certification requirements, and investigations for operators active in Ontario and Alberta.
Advertising has the potential to remain a major pitfall for operators and affiliates. With Alberta and Ontario now able to swap enforcement intelligence, a single non-compliant banner or influencer post could spark simultaneous investigations.
Alberta is leaving the details of inducement advertising, age-gating, and responsible-gambling messaging to (as yet unpublished) regulations that can change “on a dime” to match trends seen in the market. Until those rules land, the AGCO’s Registrar’s Standards around advertising remain the best example of what Alberta might emulate.
However, iGaming advertisers should keep in mind that a campaign built to Ontario’s standard today may still need re-engineering if Alberta’s standards do not match Ontario’s.
Cautionary Tales Grow in Ontario
There are a couple of recent examples of advertising-related press that come to mind.
BetMGM’s $110k Lesson – In March 2025, the AGCO fined BetMGM Canada $110,000 after affiliates handed out $100 in cash to new sign-ups at a trade show, breaching Standard 2.05.
Bodog’s Media Blackout – On May 14, the AGCO urged more than a dozen broadcasters and digital platforms to stop carrying ads for offshore operator Bodog, warning that media outlets themselves can face regulatory heat.
Both actions show how the AGCO has taken enforcement beyond an operator’s four (virtual) walls – a mindset that Bill 48 bakes in from day one.
Checklist: Alberta-Proof Your Business Now
Here are some steps we’d recommend you take prior to the launch of the Alberta iGaming market:
| Priority | Action Item | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
|
Map your reach |
Audit where current campaigns, odds feeds and affiliate links are visible to Alberta IP addresses.
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“Unintended” Alberta exposure may not be a valid defence once regulations land.
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Upgrade contracts
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Insert indemnities that push provincial-specific liability back to affiliates, influencers, and media buyers. |
The BetMGM penalty pinned affiliate conduct on the operator (the AGCO’s Registrar’s Standards require operators to be responsible for the actions of their affiliates), and Alberta has made it clear that, in its new gaming economy, all iGaming advertisements must comply with regulations.
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Toggle-ready tech |
Build geo-fencing, age-gating, and self-exclusion hooks that can be activated province-by-province.
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Board-level visibility |
Add Alberta readiness to compliance dashboards and meeting agendas. |
Fast rule changes may require executive sign-off in real time.
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Budget for retrofits
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Reserve product and legal resources for later in 2025 once draft regulations are published.
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Early engagement is more effective than emergency rewrites.
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Timeline & Next Steps
| Date | Milestone | What to Watch |
|---|---|---|
|
Summer 2025 |
Drafting regulations and stakeholder consultations begin
|
Advertising/bonusing limits, RG tool mandates
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Late 2025
|
Licence portal opens/soft launch window (target)
|
Supplier registration requirements
|
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Q1-Q2 2026 |
Commercial launch window (based on industry estimate)
|
First enforcement bulletins from AGLC & Alberta iGaming Corporation |
The Bottom Line
Alberta is months away from turning Bill 48’s broad strokes into granular rules. Yet its cross-provincial cooperation clause and offence provisions mean Ontario-licensed brands cannot treat Alberta as a distant market. Treat the upcoming regulations as compliance debt, pay it down early, and you’ll spare yourself a two-province headache in 2026.
