Commercial Gaming

Nally: Alberta Government to Collect $76M From iGaming in First Year

Posted on: July 4, 2026, 04:07h.

Last updated on: July 4, 2026, 08:20h.

Written by

Mark Keast Mark is a long-time, seasoned journalist, as a writer and editor, working for several Toronto daily newspapers, then moving over to the digital arena, covering both sports and business. Over the past few years he moved over to the gaming arena, specifically covering the igaming industry in Canada for several platforms, as well as writing on sports betting.

Key Points

Alberta expects to generate $76 million in first-year igaming proceeds, from roughly $390 million in gross gaming revenue
Forty-seven operators have completed AGLC registration, with major brands targeting Alberta's regulated market launch on July 13
Alberta's revenue-sharing model directs 2% of GGR to First Nations, 1% to responsible gambling, with the remaining revenue split 80/20 between operators and the province

The Alberta government is expected to generate CAD $76 million in proceeds from the first year of regulated igaming, according to Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally, shared via the Edmonton Journal.

Alberta’s Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale McNally speaks at SBC Summit Canada in Toronto in May. (Image: SBC)

The new market goes live July 13. According to Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis, the provincial regulator, as of June 26, 47 operators had successfully completed the registration process and paid their initial fees to AGLC. The operators still need to finish the dual-step process with Alberta iGaming Corporation to be ready for July 13.

Revenue Target Takes Shape

Operators pay a one-time CAD $50,000 application fee, and a CAD $150,000 annual registration fee.

Alberta’s revenue split between government and private operators is different than the one in place in Ontario’s regulated market, where 20% of net igaming revenue goes back to provincial government coffers.

In Alberta, from gross gaming revenue (GGR), 2% goes to First Nations, and 1% for social responsibility initiatives. From the remaining net igaming revenue, 80% goes to operators, and 20% to the Alberta government.

How Alberta Gets Paid

Based on that formula, Nally is projecting CAD $390 million in first-year GGR.

In 2025, Ontario generated CAD $4.04 billion in revenue. With the 20% that equates to approximately CAD $807 million to the Ontario government. There are currently 47 licensed operators in Ontario. That doesn’t include igaming revenue generated by the government-owned Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

Heavy hitters like DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Betway, BetRivers and Bet365 have committed to the Alberta market.

Major Operators Ready

In Alberta, Play Alberta is the government-owned platform that will compete with private operators as of July 13.

“I like to put a few dollars on the Edmonton Oilers,” said Nally, at SBC Summit Canada in Toronto in May. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with doing a little bit of gambling. But if it becomes problematic, we’re going to have support systems for people. We want to have those protections in place.

“Player safety is going to be at the forefront of everything that we do. That’s important to us in Alberta. We want gambling to be a safe pastime for people.”

Mark is a long-time, seasoned journalist, as a writer and editor, working for several Toronto daily newspapers, then moving over to the digital arena, covering both sports and business. Over the past few years he moved over to the gaming arena, specifically covering the igaming industry in Canada for several platforms, as well as writing on sports betting.