Major Ontario Operators Are in No Hurry to Enter Alberta’s Market
Dozens of brands prepared for the launch of Alberta’s regulated iGaming market, but several notable participants from neighbouring Ontario still did not appear on the list. As of July 10, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis registry did not include LeoVegas together with Royal Panda, Videoslots and Mr. Vegas, as well as Pinnacle, GGPoker and ComeOn! At the time, AGLC listed about 50 registered sites owned by just over 30 operating companies.
Their absence from the registry does not yet mean they have definitively given up on Alberta. AGLC publishes registrations that have already been completed, while market entry happens in two stages: first a company registers with the regulator, then it signs a commercial agreement with Alberta iGaming Corporation. Therefore, operators that are still filing documents or completing other procedures may not appear on the public list.
Betano is a telling example. The brand’s owner, Kaizen Gaming, reported on June 26 that it had completed the registration process, but the name did not appear in the registry immediately. By July 10, Betano had already entered the list alongside other late participants, including 888, TonyBet, and Hollywood Casino.
There is no uncertainty with LeoVegas. The MGM Resorts International-owned company decided not to pursue registration in Alberta and suspended access to its services for provincial residents. This applies both to the main brand and to Royal Panda. A LeoVegas representative explained the decision as part of a strategic business review and a desire to focus resources on further development in Ontario, where the operator has been active since 2022.
Earlier, LeoVegas had indicated that it was considering entering Alberta, so the refusal was quite noticeable. At the same time, the company did not permanently close the door: its representative only stressed that the industry is changing quickly and that it is hard to forecast future plans.
Coolbet also left Alberta in early July. The operator stopped accepting new registrations and deposits and, on July 12, closed access to betting and casino services for provincial residents. The company cited changes in local regulation but did not provide detailed reasons for declining registration.
The new market still cannot be called empty. On July 13, 22 sites operated by 15 operators went live in Alberta at the same time. However, the absence of several recognizable brands leaves open space - not only in the fight for players, but also in search results. Searches for LeoVegas Alberta, Pinnacle Alberta, or GGPoker Alberta are not going away, even when the companies themselves do not yet offer a regulated product. For projects that can move quickly with local semantics, this is a rare moment when demand already exists, while competition has not yet managed to fill every position.
Mark Patterson is the news writer at CasinosInCanada who covers the latest developments in the iGaming industry, including casino launches, regulations, and market updates.
