Alberta bans public bonus ads before July launch

• AGLC updated its iGaming standards on 18 June, prohibiting public advertising of bonuses and gambling inducements.
• Active and retired athletes may only appear in iGaming marketing to promote responsible gambling.
• The registered operator count fell to 46 after one brand was removed over cartoon imagery concerns.

Alberta’s gaming regulator has formalised advertising restrictions for the province’s competitive iGaming market, banning public promotion of bonuses and restricting athlete and celebrity appearances to responsible gambling purposes, with the 13 July launch three weeks away.

Bonus ads prohibited

The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) updated its Standards and Requirements for iGaming on 18 June.

The update confirmed that operators may not publicly advertise gambling inducements, bonuses or credits. Promotions delivered on an operator’s own app or website, or via direct marketing to players who have opted in, remain permitted.

The update introduced a dedicated promotions section covering contests, draws, prizes and giveaways, defined as activities designed to attract or retain players outside of direct advertising. Offers that artificially increase a player’s odds or chances of winning are prohibited, as are promotions requiring a separate gaming licence.

The AGLC retains authority to require operators to modify or end any promotion at any time on responsible gambling or gaming integrity grounds. Operators must also ensure their advertising partners do not promote unlicensed platforms.

Non-compliance can result in fines or loss of AGLC registration. The restrictions apply to all AGLC-licensed operators, including those already permitted to run brand awareness campaigns ahead of the market opening.

Athletes and minors

Under the updated framework, active and retired athletes may only appear in iGaming marketing to promote responsible gambling.

“The use of active or retired athletes is only allowed for the exclusive purpose of advertising responsible gaming practices.”

Operators are also prohibited from using cartoon figures, influencers or celebrities likely to appeal to young people. Advertising must not appear near locations frequented by minors. Marketing that is false, misleading or “deemed to promote excessive play” is also banned.

The cartoon imagery rules have already produced a concrete result.

Grizzly’s Quest, operated by Cadtree Limited (a subsidiary of Super Group), was removed from the AGLC registry this week. The platform’s branding features cartoon bears and moose in Canadian regalia. Alberta’s standards explicitly prohibit this style of imagery on the grounds it could appeal to minors.

The removal brought the registered operator count down from 47 to 46.

The restrictions closely mirror those now in force in Ontario. Ontario permitted professional athletes in gambling advertisements when its market launched in April 2022, before reversing course and imposing a full ban. Alberta applies the restriction from day one.

Dale Nally, minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, said of the government’s iGaming rationale:

“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.”

Launch takes shape

As of 23 June, 46 operators had completed AGLC registration, down from a peak of 47 before the Grizzly’s Quest removal. Each must also hold a signed commercial agreement with the AiGC before they can accept bets on 13 July.

The operator field includes major names from Ontario’s market. bet365, DraftKings, BetMGM and FanDuel are among those confirmed for day one.

Ontario’s regulated iGaming market generated CA$3.20 billion in gross gaming revenue during 2024-25, up 32% year on year according to iGaming Ontario. That is the clearest commercial benchmark for Alberta’s incoming market. Alberta enters as Canada’s second competitive provincial market and, though smaller in population, carries the highest per-capita gambling spend in the country.

The AGLC handles regulatory oversight, including advertising compliance and responsible gambling requirements. The AiGC manages commercial agreements, AML obligations and player complaints. The two-body structure mirrors Ontario’s framework.

Alberta also prohibits election betting, a restriction Ontario does not impose.

Provincial data suggests around 70% of Alberta’s online gambling spend flows through unregulated offshore operators, based on estimates from earlier this year. The open market, supported by a centralised self-exclusion system and mandatory advertising standards, is designed to redirect that activity into a licensed environment.

With the advertising rules now formalised and already producing enforcement outcomes, the framework sets a clear compliance baseline as 13 July approaches.