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Alberta regulator says ‘no’ to election betting in new online gambling market

March 17, 2026 · 7:17pm ET | 4:17pm PT
Photo: Shutterstock
  • Geoff Zochodne, Covers

Gambling on elections will not be allowed in Alberta’s competitive market for online gambling.  The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) issued a bulletin Tuesday that alerted prospective participants in the yet-to-launch iGaming market to the new election betting ban.

One of the new standards for future Alberta sports betting and iGaming operators is that “bets on political events (e.g., elections, by-elections, leadership contests) are prohibited.”

Alberta is aiming to expand the number of provincially authorized operators from one, AGLC’s Play Alberta, to potentially many.

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The new rule (among many others) will apply to the small army of online sports betting and online casino operators that are expected to go live in the Alberta iGaming market at some point later this year. It may not be the last tweak made, either.