Alberta regulation begins: What iGaming brands need to know

Alberta is set to introduce regulated online gambling on Monday, 13th July 2026, the second Canadian province to do so following Ontario in April 2022. This presents a great new opportunity for many iGaming brands, but it also comes with hidden dangers for some.

Over the past 8 years, the team at Rightlander has seen several countries, provinces, and states open up to regulated online gambling, and there is a commonality to each of them which iGaming businesses should be aware of to make the most of their opportunity.

Here are the key things licensed iGaming brands need to be prepared for:

Making an example

Regulators often pick one or two large iGaming brands to make an example of, typically with a large financial penalty.

A highly publicised example can be more impactful than lots of small penalties. It sends a message to licensed brands that the regulator means business.

Examples of this in action:

• UK – Some significant AML and safer gambling penalties were handed out between 2018 and 2022, which have become less frequent in recent years.
   
• Ontario, Canada – The regulator was quick to take action against several iGaming brands over advertising and inducements. There was also some activity around affiliate sites between 2022 and 2023, which has cooled in recent years
   
• Sweden – Shortly after introducing regulations in 2019, the regulator carried out enforcement against bonus offers, responsible gambling failures, and licensing breaches.

Increased scrutiny of marketing partners

Typically, Rightlander has observed that once a regulator feels that the licensed iGaming brands have improved their compliance to a sufficient standard, then they typically move on to marketing partners, which include:

• Affiliates SEO/PPC/Mailer
• Social influencers (eg: Tipsters, celebrities)
• Streamers
• Media buyers

This can present a challenging problem for certain iGaming brands that might not have created systems for monitoring the activity of their marketing partners to ensure compliant behaviour.

There have been several examples of regulators going after marketing partners. The Netherlands, Ontario, and the UK have all issued penalties to both marketing partners and iGaming brands - even when the brand has had no involvement in the activity that was identified as being non-compliant.

More often than not, regulators are tying iGaming brands to their marketing partners. They have learned that this can be an effective way of reducing non-compliance. iGaming brands need to ensure they know where their brands are being marketed and that regulatory standards are met. Specialist software tools are often required for monitoring the activity of partners.

Compliance audits and paper trails

With regulation comes greater reporting. Having worked with multiple licensed iGaming brands over the past 8 years, the Rightlander team is fully aware of the increased demands on brands to provide detailed reporting on a variety of metrics.

These include, but are not limited to:

• AML controls
• KYC procedures
• responsible gambling interventions
• advertising approval processes
• complaints handling and processing
• game fairness and integrity
• supplier management
• affiliate oversight
• source of wealth procedures
• internal governance

iGaming brands that have implemented proper procedures will benefit most. Regulators are particularly active on compliance audits in newly regulated markets. Unpreparedness is easy for them to detect and can easily lead to penalties or the loss of an operating license.

Alberta iGaming Regulation is Coming: Avoid These 5 Marketing Compliance Mistakes

Black market activity

Newly regulated markets don’t just present a great opportunity for licensed gambling operators. Black market operators also see a potential bonanza and are often quick to move in.

Regulation is often misunderstood by the citizens of the place where it is being introduced. Fears of government overreach, increased taxes, and access to personal information can drive large numbers of consumers into the hands of waiting black-market operatives.

For licensed iGaming brands that want to avoid the growth of black market activity, monitoring and reporting to the regulator is often the best defence. There will be unlicensed iGaming brands operating in Alberta, just as there have been in every single regulated market that has opened in the past 8 years. The size of that black market depends on the actions of regulators, authorities, and licensed brands working together to reduce this activity to a minimum.

Self-exclusion and problem gambling

Almost every regulator in a newly regulated market has prioritised self-exclusion programmes and implemented measures to protect vulnerable groups from the harms of problem gambling. There are question marks over the implementation of some of these programmes and not all of them have been effective, but the intention has been mirrored across pretty much every regulated market.

iGaming brands that prioritise safer gambling measures and carefully manage their self-exclusion processes typically experience far fewer issues than those brands that don’t. The UK, in particular, has handed down quite severe financial penalties and potentially caused reputational harm to licensed iGaming brands that have poor systems in place for safer gambling across their products.

Conclusions

A newly regulated online gambling market like Alberta presents a great opportunity for an iGaming brand to build up a strong presence and a loyal customer base. However, if the focus is purely on a ‘land-grab ’, then this will likely lead to problems further down the line.

Regulators will want to see a responsible approach from their licensees, with compliance front and centre in the way they conduct themselves. Being prepared, implementing solid systems, and assuming that there will be a period of ‘turbulence’ to begin with is what every iGaming brand should expect from a newly regulated market.  

Investing in the right people and tools to assist during this period is vital to ensure your iGaming brand thrives and avoids regulatory issues.