Alberta iGaming Minister Dale Nally has been at the forefront of SBC Summit Canada for the last three years.
In 2024, it was to talk mostly aspirationally of a regulated iGaming market. In 2025, things got a lot more real as Nally outlined the planned ramp-up for the market after the province passed the iGaming Alberta Act. Last month, for the 2026 edition, Nally could finally talk firmly about an imminent launch date.
Ahead of Alberta iGaming launching on July 13, Nally spoke at SBC Summit Canada 2026 in a lengthy fireside chat with SBC Managing Director Andrew McCarron in Toronto on May 20 about what the industry should expect in the province.
Canadian Gaming Business Editor Tom Nightingale reflected on Nally’s comments and Alberta’s upcoming launch on a new episode of SBC’s iGaming Daily podcast. with host Fernando Noodt.
Nally spoke at SBC Summit Canada about Alberta’s approach to launching a competitive market and protecting its players, why a potential May launch was pushed back to July, how many Alberta iGaming operators could ultimately launch sports betting and/or casino, and much more.
Here are some choice quotes from the minister’s comments:
Alberta ‘not stepping cautiously into this space’
“Alberta is coming into this conversation with real momentum,” Nally told attendees in his prepared remarks. “After nearly two years of planning, two years of collaboration and preparation, on July 13, Alberta will officially launch its expanded and regulated online gaming market.
“That is a major milestone for our province and for the industry, because we are not stepping cautiously into this space. We are building a modern market designed for long-term growth, competition, and innovation.”
Albertans were asking for expanded iGaming
“We watched what they did in Ontario, and quite frankly, Albertans were saying to us, ‘Why are you not doing what they’re doing in Ontario?'” Nally told McCarron. “Ontario is embracing this industry, they’re making it as safe as possible, they’re putting responsibility at the core of everything that you do, they have strict rules regarding advertising, and Albertans are saying, ‘Why are we not doing that for Albertans?’
“So, we’re simply responding to that need in the marketplace.”
Minister wanted to launch Alberta iGaming in May
Nally admitted that he had hoped that he might be able to cut the ribbon on Alberta iGaming a couple of months earlier than the final set date.
“I wanted to launch earlier. We were ready to launch earlier, we were going to go in May, but it was the operators that said to us that they wanted us to hold back. So, through consultation with industry, we landed on July 13 as being that sweet spot. I am confident that we are going to be ready.”
As many as 70 sportsbooks and casinos in Alberta?
As of the time of recording and writing, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) listed 43 approved operator sites as registered to do business.
How many could ultimately join the fray?
“I’m hearing the numbers are as high as 70 operators that want to come to our market,” Nally suggested. “This is very exciting … I think that the number of operators is exceeding our expectations.”
Alberta iGaming will be built on Ontario’s success
It’s no secret that, while Alberta’s iGaming market will have its own nuances, Nally and Co. leaned heavily on Ontario’s four-year-old open-market model, as well as taking lessons from other regions.
“We’ve looked at other jurisdictions for sure,” the minister added. “We looked at what they’re doing in the UK, and we like those protections that were in place. We looked at what’s going on in Ontario. We were smart enough to know that we didn’t have to recreate the wheel on this one, that there are jurisdictions like the UK and Ontario that have gone down this path.”
Regulation keeps ‘repugnant’ operators away
Ultimately, a core goal of the Alberta government is to replicate Ontario’s relative success in channelizing online gambling play away from the unregulated market onto licensed sites.
“The best way to deal with the illicit market is to have a healthy, responsible legal market, and the more successful that market is, the harder it is going to be for the repugnant operators that don’t embrace these safety standards to participate,” Nally opined. “Success will look like a black market that has been minimized as close to non-existent as possible.”
‘If you like Ontario, you’re going to love Alberta’
Asked for any final words to the industry, Nally implored operators to flock to the province.
“Coming to Alberta will be, will be a right fit for operators,” he concluded. “We have reduced red tape. We’ve got a business-friendly environment, and we’ve got low corporate taxes. It doesn’t get any better than that. So, if you like your experience in Ontario, you’re going to love your experience in Alberta.”
Catch the full Alberta-focused episode of iGaming Daily on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
