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Alberta Sports Betting: Legal Updates for Alberta Betting Sites & Apps 2024
Boasting a rich sports history as the fourth largest province in Canada, a legalized Alberta sports betting apps and sites market featuring the industry’s biggest brand names may just be around the corner.
With current expectations that we could see these brands join the market sometime in 2025, there are some key details to understand about the state of AB sports betting and when we could potentially see the likes of DraftKings and FanDuel in Wild Rose Country.
Alberta Sports Betting Apps & Sites
bet99.com
Built by Canadians for Canadians, BET99 is one of the undisputed kings of the north when it comes to offering a seamless sports betting experience and clean app that users love.
www.bet365.com
An established name making its way into new markets, Bet365 delivers a huge range of betting options for all sports, with a special emphasis on soccer and tennis.
https://www.sportsinteraction.com
Sports Interaction is making a name for itself in the Ontario sports betting market. See our Sports Interaction review & sign-up with this sportsbook.
https://powerplay.com/ontario/sportsbook/
The PowerPlay sportsbook is quickly making a name for itself in the Canadian sports betting market. Raise Your Game with PowerPlay sportsbook and discover everything they have to offer.
https://tonybet.ca
Founded in 2009 by professional poker player Antanas Guoga, also known as Tony G, the TonyBet sportsbook is quickly making a name for itself. With fast payouts, a top selection of betting markets, and a user-friendly mobile app with reliable functionality, TonyBet is a platform eligible sports bettors will enjoy.
www.unibet.com
Unibet is an awarding-winning, mobile-first sportsbook available in more than 100 countries worldwide. They've been in business for over 20 years, most recently entering the newly legal US market.
www.betway.com
Betway makes it easy to get started and then keeps you there with its huge selection and numerous ways to bet. With some of the best promos you'll find at any sportsbook, Betway is a fantastic platform to wager with.
Alberta Sports Betting at a Glance
Legal Gambling Age in Alberta | 18+ |
Online Sports Betting | Yes |
Retail Sportsbook | No |
Retail Sportsbook Launch | TBD 2025 |
Expected Retail Sportsbooks | DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook |
The only fully legal AB online sportsbook available right now is PlayAlberta, which has an active sports betting license from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC).
Many other Alberta sportsbooks currently operate in somewhat of a “grey market” since legal sports betting is neither technically legal or illegal in the province. Despite being unable to operate in Alberta without a sports betting license from the AGLC, Albertans are still able to use certain grey market sportsbooks.
Legal Alberta Online Sports Betting News
Many Alberta sports bettors want to see the likes of big brand name sportsbooks such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM enter their borders sooner rather than later. At this point, it doesn’t seem like a matter of if that will happen, but rather when.
Here is a brief timeline of the steps Alberta has taken towards a potential pathway for retail sportsbooks to go live in the near future:
- October 2024: Nally recently spoke to a media publication and, in reference to when retail sportsbooks in Alberta could potentially launch, he said “In fairness, I can’t tell you it’s going to be August, September, October, November, but I’m pretty confident that we’re going to be able to say 2025 we’ll be able to offer a legal, regulated space for iGaming.”
- May 2024: Bill 16, also known as the Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act, is passed. This bill is designed to help “conduct and manage” any potential betting operators that want to offer their iGaming services within Alberta.
- June 2024: Alberta’s Minister of Service and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally expressed his province’s continued interest in iGaming and said that Alberta is looking to follow in the footsteps of Ontario’s free-market model. Nally said “it’s going to be very similar to Ontario, because we’re following their model. As far as I’m concerned, they build the roadmap. We’ll massage it a little bit but it’s been inspired by the experience in Ontario. It’s going to be an open and free market.”
While there is still no concrete indication of when retail sportsbooks could join the Alberta sports betting market, there is good reason to believe it could happen as early as 2025.
How to Sign up With an Alberta Online Sportsbook
As it stands, PlayAlberta is currently the only legal Alberta online sportsbook operating in the province. Regardless of whether you sign up PlayAlberta or wait until retail sportsbooks arrive legally in Alberta, the signup process is going to be simple and straightforward for new users:
- Choose your Alberta sportsbook
- Follow the signup process and prompts with your AB online sportsbook of choice
- Claim an Alberta betting first deposit bonus that is offered to you via the sportsbook
- Make a deposit into your new Alberta sportsbook account and understand the minimum deposit requirement
- Start making bets via your Alberta sports betting app or on the site
Whenever retail sportsbooks enter the Alberta sports betting market, you can rest assured that the signup process should be very similar to what we’ve outlined above.
How Our Experts Review Alberta Sports Betting Apps and Sites
We understand picking the right sportsbook can be intimidating and you don’t always know what to look for. Because of that, our expert team has done the groundwork to make sure you make the right choice when locating a Alberta sports betting site or app.
Here are some key things that we look at:
📱 App Usability
Before you sign up with an Alberta sports app, you want to know how it functions. Is it a smooth user experience? Does it have glitches? Is it complicated to navigate? Is it better on iOS or Android? These are the types of nitty gritty details we seek to uncover for you so that you’re not in the dark about what you’re downloading onto your smartphone.
🏒 Market Coverage
If you typically only bet on the major North American leagues such as the NFL, NBA, NHL, or MLB, there’s a good chance most sportsbook apps in Alberta will have what you need. That said, if you’re looking to bet on unique markets or props, certain sportsbooks will have better coverage than others.
👀 Betting Features
Much like market coverage, every sportsbook won’t have seamless access to live streaming or flash bets that can make your betting experience that much more exciting. Sometimes these seemingly little features can make the difference between choosing two Alberta sports betting apps that are very similar on paper side-by-side.
🤑 Bonuses
This is likely the most important aspect of Alberta sportsbooks that we look carefully into. You want to get the best signup bonus possible, and that doesn’t always mean the biggest dollar figure. We look into key terms and conditions (T&Cs) such as rollover requirements on bonus bets that can make certain signup promos better than others.
On top of that, we also look at all-user bonuses that bettors can access even after they’ve already signed up for the sportsbook and claimed a welcome offer.
🏧 Deposit Options
Visa? Mastercard? PayPal? You want to know exactly how much you can deposit and via what deposit method. This is a critical part of the overall sportsbook experience that doesn’t get enough shine, but it’s crucial in helping you make a decision on which book you should go with. The deposit process should be quick and painless and, if it’s anything besides that, we’ll let you know.
💸 Withdrawal Options
Just like depositing money into your sportsbook account, you also want to know which ones offer the quickest and most efficient payouts. You shouldn’t have to wait weeks or months to cash out your winnings with a betting site, so it’s important to break down what the withdrawal options are and how quickly you can get real money into your bank account.
Popular Alberta Sports Betting Options
PlayAlberta.ca and their app offer a number of popular bet types that you can find on many other sports betting sites in North America. These include the following:
- Moneyline
- Over/under (totals betting)
- Point spread (spread betting)
- Parlay betting
- Team props
- Player props
- Live betting
While PlayAlberta does offer plenty of standard bet types, my experience using the sportsbook was pretty pedestrian. There are better odds to find at other sportsbooks and far more sports betting features such as better-valued boosts.
To me, the shortcomings of this government-regulated sportsbook really show the need for retail sportsbooks in the province as there would be far superior sports betting providers to choose from.
Who Can Bet on Sports in Alberta?
The legal betting age for sports in Alberta is 18. That means anyone using a legal Alberta online sports betting app, such as PlayAlberta, is able to make wagers if they are 18 or older in the province. This is also the case for other Alberta sports betting apps that currently have a presence in the province including bet365, BET99, and Sports Interaction.
This is different from many other Canadian provinces such as British Columbia or Ontario where the legal betting age is 19. It’s also younger than most US states where 21 is typically the minimum betting age.
What Are the Best Alberta Sports Betting Apps?
Since Alberta has yet to create a legal market for retail sportsbooks, the only legal option right now is the government-run sports betting operator PlayAlberta. We will update this page with details on the best Alberta sports betting apps once the province has opened the market to larger retail sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel.
Bet On Your Favorite Alberta Teams
For a population of nearly 4.4 million, Alberta has a lot of sports teams between Edmonton and Calgary as well as other smaller cities such as Lethbridge and Red Deer.
With that in mind, here are some of the biggest provincial teams you can bet on in Alberta:
- Edmonton Oilers (NHL)
- Calgary Flames (NHL)
- Edmonton Elks (CFL)
- Calgary Stampeders (CFL)
- Calgary Wranglers (AHL)
- Calgary Roughnecks (NLL)
- Cavalry FC (CPL)
In addition to all the teams that call Alberta home, the province also hosts a number of other events such as the UFC, boxing, and curling on a recurring basis.
Alberta Gambling Outside of Regular Sports
AGLC has a hand in all gambling activity within Alberta, excluding pari-mutuel horse race betting which goes through the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency (CPMA). With that in mind, there are a number of different types of gambling Albertans can engage in outside of sports betting. These include:
- Online and land-based casinos
- Horse racing
- Fantasy sports
- Lottery
- Poker
More online casino options for Albertan bettors will likely come alongside online sports betting in some form as sportsbooks such as bet365 and BetMGM are also known for their great online gambling platforms.
Responsible Gambling in Alberta
AGLC is committed to creating a safe environment for gambling in their province and they have responsible gambling measures in place to help push that agenda forward.
GameSense is a program run through AGLC that distributes and promotes responsible gambling materials to bettors in the province. You can also reach them at 1-833-447-7523 to discuss any potential gambling issues you may be facing.
Alberta Sports Betting FAQs
Are there legal betting apps in Alberta?
Yes. PlayAlberta is currently the only legal betting app in the province.
What is the legal minimum gambling age in Alberta
You need to be 18+ to gamble legally in Alberta.
Do I have to pay taxes on my betting winnings in Alberta?
No. Canadians do not have to pay taxes on betting winnings.
Can I place sports bets online in Alberta?
Yes. You can place sports bets online in Alberta right now.
Is it possible to place bets with DraftKings in Alberta?
DraftKings is not currently legal or regulated in Alberta.
Evergreen Manager; Sportsbook Expert
Following a sports journalism career with his work appearing in outlets like theScore, The Province, and VICE Sports, Patrick moved into the world of content marketing to bridge the gap between great writing and SEO success. He’s brought that same mindset to lead evergreen content efforts at SBD.