About Alberta sports betting providers: change is afoot

The online sportsbooks & betting sites listed here all serve the Province of Alberta from the 'grey market' as the new 'legal' market has yet to take shape as the Alberta Gaming & Liquor Commission has not indicated if they will have an open and uncapped market for iGaming providers.  The Federal government of Canada passed legislation to legalise single-event sports betting through Bill C-218.  The provinces are now developing regulatory frameworks which may allow certain providers to officially service their citizens.  OddsJet will update this list of Alberta betting sites so that you can see which ones are officially regulated & licensed providers, and those which continue to serve it as unofficial 'grey market' providers.  The list of Alberta online sportsbooks below is in alphabetical order, with their available bonuses below the list.  All provide CAD accounts and cover the sports that Albertans love most like the NHL, CFL & more.  WHL betting is also covered by a selection of these sites.  For an individual look at any of our listed providers, see our Canadian betting site reviews.

Alberta online sportsbook bonuses for new customers

125% bonus up to $750      

Terms & conditions apply. Interac Accepted.

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see what's up at bet365 for Canada

Terms & conditions apply. Interac accepted.

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100% Deposit Bonus up to $300

1) New Customers Only, 2) Bonus Welcome Offer is a 100% matched based on customer's 1st deposit, 3) Min deposit $10+ required, 4) Maximum Bonus amount is $300, 5) Ten (10) times playthrough (wagering) required on Sports bets at odds of 1.75 or above, 6) Promotion expires on 31/03/2025. Terms Apply. Interac Accepted.

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100% bonus up to ~$160 + free bets

Landing page shows Euros. Simply continue and set account to CAD. Euro value deposit bonus and free bets will be applied in equivalent CAD amount as set by Betsson. Terms & conditions apply. Interac accepted.

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New customers only. Full terms apply. 18+. Interac Accepted.

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Up to $100 1st bet shield               

 T&Cs Apply 19+| gambleaware.org - Interac accepted.

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125% up to $250 + $10 bet credit

New players only. Minimum deposit 10$. Bonus code SPORTUP. Min. odds of 1.80 on singles. Must roll over Bonus + Deposit 10X within 15 days of activation. Full T&C apply. 18+

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Alberta Sports Betting Guide: Laws, Regulations & Providers

Alberta is unique among Canadian provinces in that its land-based casinos are privately owned and operated, as opposed to being governmentally run. However, all forms of gambling and sports betting is highly controlled by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC). The legal age for participating in the majority of gambling activities is 18 years old.[i]

Legislative History of Gaming & Betting in Alberta

The AGLC is an agent of the Government of Alberta, and consists of a corporation and a seven-member board which reports to the Minister of Treasury Board and Finance.[ii] It has seven subdivisions which manage the day-to-day operations of the organization.[iii] It was created in 1995 by combining the responsibilities and operations of the Alberta Liquor Control Board, Alberta Lotteries, the Alberta Gaming Commission, Alberta Lotteries and Gaming, and the Gaming Control Branch.[iv] It controls the legislation pertaining to gambling in Alberta, and works in conjunction with the Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC), which was established in 1974. The WCLC is a non-profit organization which has authorization to manage, conduct, and operate lottery and gaming related activities as agent for its members: the governments of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and has as associate members the Yukon Territory, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.[v] It too is governed by a board of directors which is comprised of two representatives appointed by each of the member provincial governments.[vi] It is a Regional Marketing Organization of Interprovincial Lottery Corporation (ILC), which has the authority to manage and conduct national lotteries.[vii] In addition to working with the AGLC it also operates in conjunction with provincial and territorial marketing organizations: Saskatchewan Lotteries, Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation, Lotteries Yukon, NWT & Nunavut Lotteries.[viii]

The WCLC in addition to affiliated lottery cites offers wagering on sports under the rubric of “Sports Select” and include the games “pro line,” “point spread,” “pools,” and “props.”[ix] Some land based casinos also offer wagering on sports.

In 2007 the Alexander First Nation in Calgary announced plans to offer their own online gaming services including sports betting on their sovereign territory, and established the Alexander Gaming Commission.[x] However, the Alberta government threatened to prosecute and the Alexander leaders subsequently abandoned these plans.[xi]

The revenue accrued from gambling in Alberta is estimated at about 4.2% for, which is the equivalent of nearly half of the revenue from their oil sands.[xii]

No Single Game Betting in Alberta prior to 2021

Because of the nationwide prohibition on betting on a single game or event in the Canadian Criminal Code, Alberta, too, can only offer parlay betting either through the lottery system or in land based casinos. This system has much lower odds of success for players, as they must bid on more than one match or event at time, meaning that both or more must win in order for the player to received a payout. Consequently, like Canadian residents in other provinces most Albertans turn to the much more lucrative options available from offshore companies - people often search for Alberta betting sites in order to find the reputable ones. 

Some popular Alberta sports are not covered by WCLC games

While NHL, MLB, NFL and other top North American sports are covered at least partially by these limited WCLC Sport Select games, the Western Hockey League is not.  This is yet another reason why many Albertans have moved to play online with highly reputable and long established sports betting companies - many of them offer excellent WHL betting.

Offshore Online Sports Betting

One journalist remarked that “your typical Sport Select players in Alberta are hardly what you’d call serious gamblers,” noting that those who take the practice seriously head to offshore sites to place their wagers due to better odds.[xiii] The numbers support this view, with a typical offshore betting operation having around 4% of a profit margin annually, whereas the WCLC has closer to 30% per annum.[xiv] It is little wonder that so many residents opt to participate in this form of legal online sports betting than the ones offered through the government.

Conclusions

Sports betting offered by the government in Alberta, like much of the rest of Canada, is hindered by only offering parlay style bets. Persons wishing to wager on sports are quite understandably lured to offshore companies where the potential returns on bets are much more likely to succeed, as well as have a much more significant payout.

[i] http://www.aglc.gov.ab.ca/gaming/faq.asp#LegalAge. In 2000 the AGLC allowed for a small exception to this rule, allowing some small non-association bingo licensees to apply for an exemption to allow minors, accompanied by an adult, to play bingo for cash prizes that did not exceed $50.

[ii] http://www.aglc.ca/aboutus/default.asp

[iii] http://www.aglc.ca/aboutus/default.asp

[iv] http://www.aglc.gov.ab.ca/gaming/gaminghistoryfacts.asp

[v] https://www.wclc.com/about-us/about-wclc.htm

[vi] https://www.wclc.com/about-us/about-wclc.htm

[vii]https://www.wclc.com/about-us/about-wclc.htm

[viii] https://www.wclc.com/about-us/about-wclc.htm

[ix] http://sportselect.wclc.com/Game-Lists.htm

[x] http://www.firstnationsdrum.com/2007/03/alexander-first-nation-plans-to-host-internet-gaming/

[xi] http://globalnews.ca/news/95321/odds-are-alberta-will-roll-dice-on-cyber-gambling/

[xii] http://www.macleans.ca/economy/business/doubling-down-2/

[xiii] https://www.pressreader.com/canada/calgary-herald/20061018/282441344582166

[xiv] https://www.pressreader.com/canada/calgary-herald/20061018/282441344582166

Find online sportsbooks for other Canadian provinces

BC online sportsbooks

Manitoba online sportsbooks

New Brunswick online sportsbooks

Newfoundland online sportsbooks

Nova Scotia online sportsbooks

Ontario online sportsbooks

PEI online sportsbooks

Quebec online sportsbooks

Saskatchewan online sportsbooks