Betway Missing as Alberta Launches Regulated iGaming Market with 23 Live Sites

Alberta became Canada’s second province to open a competitive, privately operated iGaming market, with 23 licensed online casinos and sportsbooks now accepting real-money wagers from Alberta residents. The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) and the Alberta iGaming Corporation jointly oversee the new framework, which mirrors the model Ontario launched in April 2022. One notable absence stands out: Super Group’s Betway, which cleared the approval process, has not appeared among the live operators.

By Ryan Mitchell | July 17, 2025

23 Alberta Online Gambling Sites Are Live, with 31 More Approved and Waiting

The Full List of Live Operators

Alberta’s regulated iGaming market opened with 23 active platforms, a figure confirmed by Legal Sports Report’s tracking of the Alberta iGaming Corporation’s operator registry [1]. The live roster includes some of the largest names in North American sports betting and online casino gaming: bet365, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars Online Casino, DraftKings, and FanDuel all went live in the province. Play Alberta, the provincially operated platform that predates the competitive market, also remains active alongside the new private entrants.

The 23 live sites span a mix of pure sportsbooks, combined casino-and-sportsbook platforms, and casino-only products. Alberta residents aged 18 and older can legally access all 23 platforms, with each operator required to implement geolocation technology to restrict access to in-province users. This age threshold of 18 is notably lower than Ontario’s 19-year minimum, a distinction that reflects Alberta’s existing provincial gambling age rules rather than any federal standard.

The speed of the launch is significant. Alberta’s iGaming Corporation began accepting operator applications in late 2024, and the province moved from zero licensed private operators to 23 live sites within months. That pace outstripped Ontario’s early rollout, which launched with 16 operators in April 2022 before growing to over 50 registered operators by 2024.

31 Approved Operators Still Waiting to Go Live

Beyond the 23 active sites, 31 additional operators have cleared Alberta’s approval process but have not yet launched their Alberta-facing products [1]. This pipeline suggests the total number of licensed Alberta online gambling sites could approach or exceed 50 within the next 12 to 18 months, assuming operators complete their technical and compliance requirements on schedule. Ontario’s experience shows that approved operators often take several months to complete platform localization, responsible gambling tool integration, and payment processor agreements before going live.

The gap between approval and launch is not unusual in newly regulated markets. Operators must integrate with the Alberta iGaming Corporation’s central system, configure geofencing, and submit to a final technical audit before accepting real-money wagers. For players, the practical effect is a market that will look substantially different by the end of 2025 than it does today.

Betway Is Approved but Absent, and Grizzly’s Quest Has Disappeared Entirely

Super Group’s Betway Problem in Alberta

The most closely watched anomaly in Alberta’s launch is the status of Betway, operated by Super Group, the Nasdaq-listed gaming conglomerate. Betway received regulatory approval from the Alberta iGaming Corporation, meaning Super Group cleared the background checks, financial solvency reviews, and technical standards assessments that the AGLC requires. Despite that approval, Betway does not appear among the 23 live Alberta online gambling sites [1].

Super Group has not issued a public statement explaining the delay. The company operates Betway across multiple regulated markets globally, including the United Kingdom, several U.S. states, and Ontario, so the Alberta absence is not a matter of technical incapability. Possible explanations include ongoing commercial negotiations with payment processors, a voluntary delay in the Alberta launch to prioritize other market entries, or unresolved compliance items specific to Alberta’s framework. Until Super Group clarifies the situation, the reason remains speculative.

For Alberta sports bettors who use Betway in other jurisdictions, the absence means they cannot legally access a Betway Alberta account and must use one of the 23 live alternatives. Betway’s Ontario product launched in 2022 and has built a meaningful market share in that province, so Alberta demand for the brand is likely real.

Grizzly’s Quest: A Brand That Vanished from the Approvals List

The Betway situation is complicated further by what happened to a second Super Group brand. Grizzly’s Quest, which had appeared on Alberta’s list of approved operators, was removed from that list in June 2025 [1]. The Alberta iGaming Corporation has not published an explanation for the removal. Grizzly’s Quest was positioned as a Canada-specific brand, distinct from Betway’s global identity, suggesting Super Group had planned a dual-brand strategy for the Alberta market.

The disappearance of Grizzly’s Quest from the approvals list is more significant than a simple launch delay. Removal from an approvals list typically indicates either a voluntary withdrawal by the operator or a regulatory decision to revoke approval. Neither outcome reflects well on the brand’s Alberta prospects. Super Group’s share price and investor communications have not addressed the Grizzly’s Quest situation as of the time of writing, leaving the market without a clear explanation.

This situation illustrates a broader truth about newly regulated iGaming markets: the list of approved operators is not static, and brands can enter and exit the registry before a single wager is placed. Players and industry observers should treat the approvals list as a living document rather than a final roster.

Alberta’s iGaming Regulatory Framework: How the Market Actually Works

The AGLC and Alberta iGaming Corporation: Two Bodies, One Market

Alberta’s regulated iGaming market operates under a dual-authority structure. The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) functions as the primary licensing and compliance regulator, setting the standards operators must meet and enforcing responsible gambling requirements. The Alberta iGaming Corporation, a separate Crown entity, manages the commercial and technical infrastructure of the market, including the central system that all licensed operators must connect to.

This two-body model differs from Ontario’s approach, where iGaming Ontario, a subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), handles both the regulatory and commercial functions under one umbrella. Alberta’s separation of regulatory and commercial roles is designed to prevent conflicts of interest, though it also adds a layer of administrative complexity for operators navigating the approval process.

Alberta’s framework requires operators to contribute a percentage of gross gaming revenue to provincial coffers, with funds directed toward public health programs, responsible gambling initiatives, and general provincial revenue. The exact revenue-share percentage has not been publicly disclosed in the same detail as Ontario’s framework, where operators pay a 20% tax on gross gaming revenue.

How Alberta Compares to Ontario’s iGaming Market

Ontario launched Canada’s first competitive private iGaming market in April 2022 and generated over CAD 1.8 billion in gross gaming revenue in its first full fiscal year, according to iGaming Ontario’s annual report. Alberta’s market is smaller by population, with approximately 4.7 million residents compared to Ontario’s 15 million, but Alberta’s higher average household income and strong sports culture make it an attractive market for operators. Industry analysts projected Alberta’s annual iGaming revenue at between CAD 300 million and CAD 500 million at full market maturity, though official provincial projections have not been published.

The 23-site launch count also compares favorably to Ontario’s 16-operator debut. Alberta’s faster initial rollout reflects lessons learned from Ontario’s launch, where regulators and operators had to work through technical and compliance issues in real time. Alberta’s iGaming Corporation had the benefit of observing Ontario’s first two years before opening its own market.

What Alberta’s Regulated Market Means for Crypto Poker and Bitcoin Gambling Players

Alberta’s regulated iGaming launch is directly relevant to Canadian crypto poker players, because it changes the legal and practical calculus of where to play. Before the regulated market opened, Alberta residents who wanted to gamble online had two realistic options: Play Alberta (the provincial monopoly site) or offshore platforms, many of which accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The new regulated market adds a third category: licensed private operators with consumer protections, dispute resolution mechanisms, and responsible gambling tools, but without the crypto payment flexibility that offshore sites typically offer.

None of the 23 live Alberta online gambling sites currently advertise Bitcoin or cryptocurrency deposit options. The regulated framework requires operators to use payment methods that comply with Canadian anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, which effectively excludes anonymous crypto transactions. Players who value the privacy, speed, and low fees of Bitcoin deposits will find that offshore crypto poker rooms and bitcoin casinos still offer something the regulated Alberta market does not. For a detailed look at how crypto-friendly poker platforms compare, the crypto poker site reviews at PokerBitcoins cover the leading options available to Canadian players.

The regulated market does offer something offshore sites cannot: legal certainty and formal consumer protection. Licensed Alberta operators must segregate player funds, respond to formal complaints through the AGLC’s dispute process, and adhere to responsible gambling standards including deposit limits and self-exclusion tools. For players who prioritize those protections over payment flexibility, the 23 live sites represent a meaningful upgrade over the unregulated offshore market. The choice between regulated and crypto-native platforms is one every Canadian online gambler now has to make consciously, and Alberta’s launch makes that choice more concrete than ever.

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Key Takeaways

• 23 licensed online gambling sites are now live in Alberta, including bet365, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, and the provincial Play Alberta platform [1].
• 31 additional operators have received approval from the Alberta iGaming Corporation but have not yet launched their Alberta-facing products.
• Super Group’s Betway brand cleared Alberta’s approval process but does not appear among the 23 live operators, with no public explanation from Super Group as of July 2025.
• A second Super Group brand, Grizzly’s Quest, was removed from Alberta’s approvals list entirely in June 2025, suggesting either a voluntary withdrawal or a regulatory decision to revoke approval.
• The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) and the Alberta iGaming Corporation jointly regulate the market, using a dual-authority model distinct from Ontario’s single-body iGaming Ontario structure.
• Alberta’s minimum gambling age is 18, lower than Ontario’s 19-year threshold, reflecting existing provincial gambling age rules.
• None of the 23 live regulated Alberta sites currently accept Bitcoin or cryptocurrency deposits, meaning crypto-preferring players still face a choice between regulated and offshore platforms.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Bottom Line

Alberta’s regulated iGaming market is a genuine structural shift for Canadian online gambling, not a minor policy update. Twenty-three licensed operators going live in a single market launch represents one of the largest coordinated iGaming openings in Canadian history, and the 31 additional approved-but-not-live operators signal that the market will look substantially larger within 12 months. The AGLC and Alberta iGaming Corporation have built a framework that attracted the biggest names in North American gambling from day one.

The Betway and Grizzly’s Quest situations are the most important stories within the story. A Nasdaq-listed operator clearing approval and then not launching, while a second brand disappears from the approvals list entirely, raises legitimate questions about Super Group’s Alberta strategy and the stability of the approvals process itself. Players considering Betway Alberta should monitor Super Group’s communications closely before assuming the brand will eventually go live.

For Canadian crypto poker players, the Alberta launch clarifies a choice that was previously ambiguous: regulated platforms with consumer protections but no crypto payments, or offshore crypto-native sites with payment flexibility but no formal recourse. Both options now exist in clear relief. The right choice depends entirely on what a player values most, and Alberta’s regulated market has made that decision impossible to avoid. For players still weighing their options across crypto-friendly platforms, the platform reviews at PokerBitcoins remain the most practical starting point.

Sources

1. Legal Sports Report – Full list of 23 live Alberta online gambling sites, approved operator registry, and Super Group brand status as of July 2025.