Grey Eagle Imitators Show Why Alberta Needs Regulated Online Casinos

By Steven Sandor | Jun 11, 2026, 8:56am

The Grey Eagle Resort and Casino, located on Tsuut’ina Nation land just outside of the Calgary city limits, has a brand that’s well known with gamers across Alberta.

And, at the end of May, it was voted the top brick-and-mortar gaming spot in Alberta at the International Casino Awards. It earned 45.9% of the vote from gamers.

So. it’s no surprise that you can search the web to see if it has got an iGaming app and, jackpot, it’s out there. Actually, there’s more than one. And they’ve been out there for a while

The thing is, regulated Alberta online casinos and sportsbooks are not coming until July 13. So, what gives?

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Online casino not affiliated with Alberta location

At greyeagle.casino, you are greeted with the description: “Discover the thrill of Calgary’s famous Grey Eagle Casino — now available online. Enjoy real-money slots, live dealer casino games, secure Canadian banking, fast payouts and exclusive bonuses designed for players across Canada.”

The iGaming app uses the casino’s famous flying eagle logo, and the same font as the physical resort. It’s not until you scroll and scroll to the bottom that you’ll find this. It’s buried in the FAQ.

“Q: Is Grey Eagle Casino Online connected to the land-based Grey Eagle Casino?

“A: Grey Eagle Casino Online is a digital casino platform inspired by established Canadian gaming standards. It allows players to enjoy casino games online without visiting the physical casino location.”

Basically, it’s a foreign site masquerading as the Grey Eagle. The first clue is that it accepts players from across Canada, when only Ontario and Alberta (as of July 13) will have regulated iGaming markets. This is a foreign site, unregulated in the very province it purports to target.

More than one imposter

But there’s more. There’s a greyeaglecasinocanada.com, also welcoming players from across Canada, which is based in Curacao. It also uses the flying eagle logo.

The unregulated sites spurred Grey Eagle to put out messaging through its social-media channels warning players that the casino does not administer any iGaming sites.

“Warning: Grey Eagle Resort and Casino does not currently offer online gaming,” read the Grey Eagle notices. “Beware of fake ads. We will never ask for personal or financial info online.”

These “grey” Grey Eagle sites are shining examples of why Alberta is launching a regulated iGaming market. Currently, the provincially administered Play Alberta platform is the only one regulated to operate.

Can Alberta online casinos bring customers from unregulated sites?

The new regulated market has certainly attracted interest — 43 apps have been given conditional approvals to start operations on launch day, though it’s not clear just how many will be up and running when the countdown ends.

The provincial government estimates that Play Alberta’s revenues account for only about a third of what’s spent on iGaming by people living in the province. The rest is going to the unregulated market, to places like these Grey Eagle sites.

Dale Nally, Alberta’s Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, oversees the launch of the province’s iGaming market. And he said there’s no stopping the out-of-market sites; so the best option is to crowd them out by offering a regulated domestic market.

“This is not North Korea,” said Nally. “We can’t shut down the Internet. So, online gambling is here. The question is, how do you make it safer? How to make it responsible?”

As of July 13, the best way to check if an app is regulated in Alberta is to see if it is integrated with Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis’s opt-out policy. All legal operators must integrate with AGLC’s centralized system that will allow people to opt-out through an online portal.

Steven Sandor

With more than 30 years of experience as a writer and editor, Steven has built a career covering sports and culture across multiple platforms. His 11th book, Leveling the Ice: Confronting Racism in Hockey, was published by Beacon Press in 2025. He has covered the NHL for decades and also worked within the Edmonton Oilers organization, bringing both journalistic and firsthand industry insight to his work. In addition, he has worked as a soccer commentator for Sportsnet, OneSoccer, TSN, and CBC. A lifelong sports fan, hockey has always been a major passion, but his connection to sports extends well beyond the rink. Baseball and soccer were central parts of his family life, and his father played high-level soccer in Hungary before escaping to Canada with his wife during the 1956 uprising. That deep family connection to sport continues to shape his perspective and storytelling today. Outside of hockey and soccer, he is an avid Formula 1 fan with a particular appreciation for the technical side of the sport, from aerodynamics and tire strategy to the finer details of race engineering.