Alberta Issues Tough Rules on Sports Betting Ads Ahead of Summer Market Launch

Alberta has set out strict new advertising and promotion rules for online gambling, tightening standards just weeks before the province’s competitive iGaming market opens on July 13.

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A June 18 update to the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission’s (AGLC) Standards and Requirements for iGaming formalized the framework, confirming that Alberta will take a similar approach to Ontario’s regulated market, and in some areas, go even further. 

The new rules define how operators can market their products, restrict inducements and bonuses, and outline clear boundaries for responsible gambling messaging. 

Advertising restrictions and responsible play

The AGLC’s updated standards prohibit gambling inducements, bonuses, and credits from being advertised anywhere except on an operator’s own gaming site or through direct marketing, and only after a player gives explicit consent. 

Direct marketing includes messages sent via email, text, phone, or social media. The rules also ban ads that target minors, use misleading claims, or promote excessive play. 

Operators are barred from using active or retired athletes in advertising unless they are promoting responsible gambling, and from featuring celebrities, influencers, or imagery likely to appeal to minors. 

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The regulations go further by restricting outdoor advertising near schools or youth‑focused venues and banning content that portrays gambling as a solution to personal, social, or financial problems. 

Ads must not imply that playing can improve self‑esteem, attractiveness, or success, nor suggest that skill can influence outcomes in games of chance. The AGLC reserves the right to order operators to amend or remove any advertising it deems socially irresponsible or misleading. 

Operators cannot run contests or giveaways that alter game odds

Promotions, defined as activities designed to attract or retain players, are also tightly controlled. Operators cannot run contests or giveaways that alter game odds, require wagers above minimum stakes, or include progressive elements funded by players.  

Any permitted promotions must clearly disclose all conditions and cannot describe offers as “free” or “risk‑free” unless they truly are. Players must opt in to receive promotional messages and be able to withdraw consent easily. 

The AGLC has also banned partnerships that provide gaming devices or equipment to players at physical locations to access online sites. Third‑party marketers working with licensed operators must not promote or refer players to unregistered gambling sites.

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