| 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.
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:
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.
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:
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
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.
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.
Yes. PlayAlberta is currently the only legal betting app in the province.
You need to be 18+ to gamble legally in Alberta.
No. Canadians do not have to pay taxes on betting winnings.
Yes. You can place sports bets online in Alberta right now.
DraftKings is not currently legal or regulated in Alberta.
