AGLC approves Stake for Alberta online gambling market

Stake has received approval from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) to offer online gambling in Alberta and is finalising an operating agreement with the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), according to a company announcement. The operator plans to launch its platform in the province on 12 October, the day before a regulatory deadline for grey-market operators to move into the regulated market.

Kris Abbott, country manager at Stake Canada, said in a press release that the company had built a recognised brand in online gaming by taking a different approach. "We move faster, we build bigger, and we create an entertainment experience that genuinely shapes internet and sports culture," Abbott said.

According to H2 Gambling Capital chief operating officer Josh Hodgson, Stake accounted for an estimated 31% of Canada's national grey market. Hodgson told Casino.org that Stake generated an estimated CA$921m in FY 2026, second to Super Group at 32% with CA$942m.

Stake Canada was set up to expand into regulated Canadian markets, and the company is also seeking regulatory approval to launch in Ontario's private iGaming market, which opened in 2022. Alberta's market launched on 13 July. As of 8 October, the AGLC listed 41 licensed iGaming operators, including state-run Play Alberta and three licences for Cadtree Limited, with 39 active sites accepting wagers.

Birgitte Sand, who sits on the board at Stake Canada, described the operator's route into regulated markets as one built on readiness, responsibility and sustained compliance. In her view, the Alberta licence gives the company a solid base for growing in Canada and shows how seriously it treats local rules and player protection. She went on to praise the provincial government, the AGLC and the AiGC for putting the province's commercial iGaming framework in place.

Beyond Canada, the company is active in regulated gambling markets in Europe and Latin America. AGLC documents show that operators received a 90-day grace period, decided case by case, following the 13 July launch of the market, so they could set out how they would reach compliance in ways that had not been possible before that date. Operators in the grey market have until 13 October to move into the regulated space.