Two More Brands Approved As Alberta Online Casinos Prepare For Launch

By Steven Sandor | Jul 06, 2026, 1:28pm

With just over a week to go before Alberta launches online casinos and sportsbooks, two more platforms have received their preliminary approvals from the provincial government’s regulatory.

Ellipse Entertainment and Tonybet got their green lights this week, raising the total operators approved by Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis to 49. There are more than 50 brands registered, though, as some companies list multiple brands under one registration.

Alberta will become the second Canadian province to regulate a legal, domestic iGaming market, following in Ontario’s footsteps. The Alberta online casino and sports betting market opens July 13.

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Recently approved Alberta online casino registrants

Tonybet has been an aggressive player in Canada for four years. It advertises nationally, and its sportsbook and casino platform is regulated in Ontario.

It also offers services to the rest of Canada through a licensing agreement with the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, using Indigenous rights to administer and control their own gambling businesses to its advantage.

In the new AGLC update, Ellipse Entertainment has not specified which platform it will operate in Alberta. It operates the High Flyer Casino brand in Ontario.

Only one more update is expected from AGLC before the July 13 launch.

Polymarket blocked in Alberta

It has been a busy week in Alberta.

On July 2, Alberta bettors were geoblocked by predictions market operator Polymarket.

Polymarket states that four Canadian regions — Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario — are subject to these conditions: “Users can close existing positions but cannot open new ones, on both the front end and the API.”

Alberta’s rules frown on many of the trading options available on Polymarket, such as betting on elections or who will enter political campaigns. Polymarket does not have an approval for Alberta operations as of July 13.

On March 17, AGLC stated that political events, such as elections, by-elections and leadership contests would be prohibited from bettors. These sorts of bets are key to Polymarket’s popularity, as is the ability for the bettor to sell back bets as if they were stocks.

Alberta’s rules also prohibit “bets which mimic the structure of financial instruments, products or markets.”

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.