AGLC requires Alberta iGaming operators to register and sign AiGC agreements

All iGaming operators in Alberta must be registered with the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) and hold a signed commercial agreement with the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) as of 13 July, according to AGLC. The province's iGaming market has expanded and now includes dozens of new operators and goods or services suppliers, AGLC said.

According to AGLC, regulatory oversight of the province's iGaming industry sits with AGLC itself. By contrast, AiGC's purview covers commercial agreements, anti-money laundering, financials and reporting income. Registration with AGLC comes first in the application process, and operators then engage with AiGC to complete a commercial agreement.

Integration with AGLC's centralized Self-Exclusion Program is a required step for operators. The program offers players three options: exclusion from all registered iGaming platforms, exclusion from all land-based casinos and racing entertainment centres, or exclusion from both iGaming platforms and land-based venues.

For Alberta's registered iGaming operators, AGLC sets the content standards for gambling advertising and marketing, covering responsible gambling, player protection and safeguards for vulnerable individuals and groups. Approved operators' advertising material must display the Alberta iGaming Corporation logo in an easily identifiable way, and ads must include references to responsible gambling information, including 211 Alberta. Endorsements by athletes or by people who appeal to minors are barred, with one exception: promoting the platform's responsible gambling features.

How frequently gambling ads appear, and how much advertising operators or media providers run, are matters outside AGLC's control, the regulator said. Broadcasting matters fall to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), so concerns about ad frequency or placement should be directed there. A concern about the content of a specific gambling ad, however, can be submitted to AGLC for review.

AGLC also publishes guidance for the market, including a go-live compliance guide for iGaming operators and goods or services suppliers, a notification matrix setting out information such as discrepancy reporting and regulatory submissions with required frequency and format, documents on its compliance approach and on event contracts, a fee schedule for operator and supplier registration, and self-exclusion brand-use guidelines. The Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act and Regulation set out the legislative framework and licence types.