Alberta, Canada opens its online casino market, and five providers entered from day one
Alberta, Canada opened its online casino market to private operators on July 13. Here is how Pragmatic Play, Evolution, Hacksaw Gaming, Play’n GO and Games Global entered, in date order.
Key takeaways
- On July 13, Alberta opened its online casino market to private operators. It is Canada’s second competitive market, following Ontario in 2022.
- Until then, the only option was PlayAlberta, run by the provincial government.
- Pragmatic Play, Evolution and Hacksaw entered on launch day, Play’n GO three days later, and Games Global in September.
The Canadian province of Alberta opened its online casino market to private operators on July 13. Provider announcements poured in the same day. Five companies whose games are listed on our site announced their entry into this market.
From a government monopoly to a competitive market
Until now, Alberta allowed online casino play only through PlayAlberta, which is run by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC), a provincial body. The opening lets licensed private operators and providers come in together. The AGLC remains the regulator.
In Canada, this is the second competitive market after Ontario, which opened in 2022. Ontario has settled into a system overseen by the AGCO, and most major providers are already there. Alberta is a market that companies with that experience can move into right away.
With a population of about 4.8 million, Alberta is the fourth-largest province in Canada. Its oil and gas industry gives it relatively high per-capita income. For providers, it is a market with both size and spending power. Large operators with Ontario experience entered at the same time, so quite a few brands were open from the very first day.
Three providers that entered on launch day
Pragmatic Play announced that it received certification for slots and live casino in time for launch day. On the slot side, it led with recent releases such as Fury of Anubis and Big Bass Blast, along with the Gates of Olympus series. Sharon McHugh, promotions director, said, “We are delighted to be one of the providers supplying content to operators from day one.”
Evolution’s situation is a little different. It has already supplied live casino and slots through PlayAlberta since 2021. With this opening, it signed new agreements with private operators to bring live casino, game shows, first person games and online slots to more players. Jacob Claesson, Evolution’s North America CEO, said he welcomes a “well-regulated competitive market.”
Hacksaw Gaming completed its registration as an “iGaming goods and services supplier and key gaming system supplier” just before the launch. Hacksaw’s COO Markus Cordes described it as an important milestone for its North American business.
Play’n GO three days later, Games Global two months later
Play’n GO said in its July 16 announcement that it launched games with more than 10 operators during the first week after opening. It is the third Canadian province to do so, following Ontario and Quebec. Esteban Perez, head of new market expansion, called the result “proof of the strength of our regulated market strategy.”
Games Global came in on September 7 with an AGLC license. It is bringing series such as Gold Blitz, 12 Masks of Fire and Fishin’ Pots of Gold to Alberta for the first time, and will also supply tables from its exclusive live casino partner OnAir Entertainment.
| Date | Providers | Details |
|---|---|---|
| July 13 | Pragmatic Play | Slot and live casino certification, launch-day entry |
| July 13 | Evolution | Expanding from PlayAlberta supply (2021 onward) to private operators |
| July 13 | Hacksaw Gaming | Registered as a key gaming system supplier |
| July 16 | Play'n GO | More than 10 operators in the first week, Canada’s third province |
| September 7 | Games Global | AGLC licensed, supplying slots and live games |
In short
On July 13, Alberta opened its online casino market to private operators, becoming Canada’s second competitive market. Pragmatic Play, Evolution and Hacksaw Gaming announced their entry on launch day, Play’n GO three days later, and Games Global in September. You can try each company’s slots as demos in the Pragmatic Play, Hacksaw Gaming and Play’n GO free slot collections.
Sources: Pragmatic Play official news · Evolution official news · Hacksaw Gaming official news · Play'n GO official news · iGaming Business