Alberta opens iGaming market and nine approved platforms have links to Malta

Alberta’s iGaming market officially opened this week, and nine of the 22 approved platforms are owned by companies which have a Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) license or some other direct link to Malta. 

Bet365 Sportsbook and Bet365 Casino are operated by Bet365, which is licensed and based in Malta, while BetMGM owns Leo Vegas Gaming plc, which is licensed by the MGA and has offices in Malta.

Canada-based Betty was recently granted a UK gambling license, with its British operations managed by a Malta-registered operating company.

Casino Days is operated by Rhino Entertainment, which is headquartered in Malta, and DAZN Bet is operated by MGA-licensed DZBT Ltd.

FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Casino are owned by Flutter Entertainment, an Irish-American company which has a number of MGA licenses and a Malta office, while LuckyDays is also MGA-licensed. 

Alberta has become the second Canadian province, after Ontario, to launch a regulated multi-operator online gambling market, ending the previous monopoly under which Government-run Play Alberta was the sole legal platform. Play Alberta remains available for the people of Alberta alongside the 22 new commercial operators.

Other platforms have secured approval but have not yet been launched, including Malta-based Kaizen Gaming, Apollo Entertainment, Entain, Soft2Bet, and Evoke. 

Celebrating the opening of Alberta’s iGaming market, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale Nally said that the province’s focus has always been to protect Albertans and ensure people who choose online gaming can do so in a safe and responsible environment.