Ontario iGaming in 2026: Can the Province Maintain Its Lead as Alberta Builds a Competitive Gambling Market?

Ontario is the largest and most established private online gambling market in Canada — but Alberta is quickly changing the national picture. The province launched its competitive online gambling market on July 13, 2026 — making it the second Canadian province after Ontario to allow private online casino and sports betting operators. However, the Alberta market is still in its early stages as of August 26, 2026. Ontario, meanwhile, boasts over four years of operating experience.

Ontario Has a Significant Head Start

On April 4, 2022, the province of Ontario launched its regulated iGaming market. Since then, the number of iGaming operators has expanded from 12 at the market’s launch to 50 active operators in the 2024-25 fiscal year. Those operators generated well over $82.7 billion in wagers and $2.9 billion in total gaming revenue. The market also featured more than 2.6 million active player accounts.

Casino games remain the largest part of the Ontario iGaming market offering. Casino products generated nearly $2.2 billion and accounted for around 75% of total gaming revenue throughout the year. Betting products contributed $654 million, while peer-to-peer poker accounted for $59 million.

The latest monthly data reveals the market’s large scale and operation. The iGaming Ontario market performance report was updated in July 2026 with data through June 2026, and covers operators with trading activity since the market opened.

Alberta Opens a New Competitive Market

Alberta’s arrival represents a significant new competitor in the Canadian online gambling space. Prior to July 13, Albertans had access primarily to either Play Alberta itself or offshore gambling websites — the province estimated that unregulated operators had accounted for around 70% of the Alberta gaming market.

The system drew notable interest prior to going live. Close to 50 companies paid $200,000 in registration and permit fees, while 22 operators were ready to accept customers on the first day. The market is regulated by Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), while the Alberta iGaming Corporation takes care of commercial agreements with operators.

The opportunity is therefore significantly different from what Ontario faces. Beyond establishing yet another large market for gambling activity, Alberta is looking to move players away from unregulated websites and towards platforms operating under provincial rules.

Alberta Could Put More Pressure on Ontario Operators

The threat to Ontario is not that Alberta will overtake it in market size — Ontario comfortably leads in the number of operators, player accounts, revenue, and experience. Alberta gives major gambling companies yet another market within which to compete.

Operators that already have experience in Ontario can use that knowledge when entering Alberta. Companies finding success there will have even more resources and experience to compete for Ontario customers.

This could intensify pressure on Ontario gambling operators to improve their websites, mobile platforms, sports betting offerings, casino game selection, payments and customer support. With 50 active operators already recorded in Ontario, standing out in such a market is increasingly important.

Responsible Gambling Remains a Key Issue

The growth of the regulated iGaming industry also brings further attention to player protection. Alberta requires registered operators to integrate with a centralized self-exclusion program. Players can exclude themselves from registered iGaming platforms, land-based casinos, and racing entertainment centres. Operators must also comply with various rules regarding advertising and responsible gambling.

Ontario has been developing similar tools. iGaming Ontario made clear that a centralized self-exclusion system formed part of its major projects aimed at improving consumer protection. The province reported that 83.7% of surveyed Ontario players said they played on a regulated site, according to a 2025 survey from iGaming Ontario and the AGCO. That experience matters, since Alberta is trying to shift a large share of gambling activity from the grey market into regulated platforms while maintaining player safeguards.

Can Ontario Maintain Its Lead?

For now, Ontario remains firmly ahead. Its four-plus years of regulated iGaming feature a mature ecosystem with dozens of operators, millions of active accounts, and billions of dollars in annual gaming revenue.

However, Alberta has the potential to change the competitive landscape over the longer term. The province is keeping 20% of net iGaming revenue, with an additional 3% of gross revenue allocated to First Nations and social-responsibility funding. Alberta expects the regulated system to generate more provincial revenue while improving consumer protection.

The critical element going forward for Alberta will be successfully converting the large estimated grey-market audience to regulated play. In the meantime, Ontario will need to maintain its strong operator base while improving player protection and market oversight.