Overview: What kind of market is this?

Alberta's regulated iGaming market closed its three-month transition and grace period on October 13, 2026, moving from a deliberately tolerated unregulated-to-regulated migration window into an active monitoring and enforcement posture against any operator continuing to accept Alberta wagers without registration. The registered roster expanded materially across that window, growing from 22 commercial sites at the July 13, 2026 launch to 29 registered operators covering an estimated 48 to 51 approved brands and sites by mid-October 2026, with Stake and Bet99 among the final approvals granted before the deadline closed. AGLC and AiGC, the two-entity registration model that has governed the market since launch, describe the post-deadline enforcement effort as a partnership in which both bodies are able to act against unregistered operators, and the responsible minister has separately indicated the province may seek Apple and Google's cooperation in removing unauthorized gambling apps and sites, extending the regulatory posture toward platform-level levers if pursued.