Alberta, Canada, will open its online casino and mobile sports betting market to independent operators later this year, and the process is finally being put in motion as the provincial government and regulators are soliciting firms to apply.
Product Deficiency
PlayAlberta offers a government-managed platform for wagering within the province. However, similar to many other government agencies, PlayAlberta suffers from flaws, as its operators lack financial skin in the game, and the product is designed by bureaucrats rather than committed entrepreneurs.
And it is for this reason that many Albertans have become disenchanted with the product. After reviewing just some of the reviews, it’s become apparent that something had to change. Below is just a smattering of those opinions shared online.
“Every time, they give me various excuses or tell me that a manager will call me, but I’ve never received a call from them. There’s no website worse than this; I even suspect it’s a scam. I strongly advise against playing games or buying any lottery tickets on this website.” – Feng Jiang
“Painfully poor customer service. First, you have to get past the artificial AI responses that don’t acknowledge there is any problem… Six hours later I got through to a supposed live person who credited my account with the value: sixty cents!!!! What a ripoff!!!” – Truly Annoyed
“So I tried this casino when I was visiting Alberta at the beginning of November and won $500… Fast forward to today. December 27, 2025. Still have not been able to withdraw my funds because the new documents I have submitted are under review. DO NOT WASTE MONEY on this site.” – Lisa Stoner
Breaking Down the Monopoly
A recent survey reported that PlayAlberta is capturing only 23–32% of the market, and despite the many negative reviews, the site made $275 million in net sales, an increase of $35 million from last fiscal year. Yet, the problems that plague it and the negative reputation it has fostered leave many Albertans fleeing the market in search of better offerings offshore.
Thus, the need for competition is why Alberta has decided to open its online gaming market, mirroring the successful blueprint in Ontario. Last week, the province announced it is now accepting applications from online gaming companies wishing to operate in this new northern frontier.
“For Albertans who choose not to gamble, the best option is to not start. With unregulated iGaming widely available in our province, it is our responsibility to step in, regulate the market, and hold private providers to the highest standards to protect Albertans, particularly our youth,” said Dale Nally, the minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction.
BetRivers Signals Interest in Alberta Market
At the 28th Annual Needham Growth Conference held last week, Rush Street Interactive CEO Richard Schwartz said his company’s subsidiary, BetRivers, would be an eager participant in the market for private operators that is scheduled to launch later this year.
“Regulations in that jurisdiction were published just two days ago and yesterday, so we have a much more clear understanding of what that’s going to require, and things are moving along nicely in that jurisdiction (Alberta) for a launch later this year,” Schwartz said.
