Stake secures Alberta iGaming licence, launches days before gray-market deadline

Stake is set to launch its online casino and sports betting platform in Alberta on 12 October, just one day before a provincial deadline that forces unlicensed operators out of the market.

The Australian-backed company has secured approval from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) and is finalising an operating agreement with the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), the body that oversees the province's regulated online gambling sector.

Why the timing matters

Alberta's regulated iGaming market opened on 13 July. Operators that had been active in the province beforehand, often without a specific provincial licence, were given a 90 day grace period to demonstrate a path to compliance that had not been possible before the market launched. That window closes on 13 October.

Stake's launch, scheduled for 12 October, falls squarely within that deadline. According to Casino.org, the AGLC listed 41 licensed iGaming operators in Alberta as of 8 October, including the state-run Play Alberta, with 39 sites currently taking wagers.

A pivot from the gray market

Stake has long operated in Canada without provincial licences in most jurisdictions, a position often described as the gray market: platforms accessible to Canadian players but not specifically authorised by local regulators. The company is estimated to account for around 31% of that unregulated activity nationally, according to H2 Gambling Capital data cited by Canadian Gaming Business.

Kris Abbott, country manager at Stake Canada, framed the Alberta entry as consistent with the brand's wider approach. "Stake has built one of the world's most recognizable brands in online gaming by doing things differently," Abbott said in a press release. "We move faster, we build bigger, and we create an entertainment experience that genuinely shapes internet and sports culture."

Stake Canada's approach to regulated market entry is grounded in preparation, accountability, and a long-term commitment to compliance.Birgitte Sand, board member, Stake Canada

Sand added that the Alberta licence "provides a strong foundation for the company's development in Canada" and reflects the importance the company places on local standards and player safety. She also credited the Alberta government, the AGLC and the AiGC for establishing the province's commercial iGaming framework.

What comes next

Stake Canada was created specifically to pursue entry into regulated provincial markets, and the company is also seeking approval to operate in Ontario's private iGaming sector, which launched in 2022 and remains the country's largest regulated online gambling market. Beyond Canada, Stake operates under licences in parts of Europe and Latin America.

The company has faced regulatory friction elsewhere. In the United States, Stake and sweepstakes operator VGW were named in a lawsuit by Florida's attorney general over sweepstakes casino models, a format that has kept multiplying across the US market despite growing scrutiny. The Alberta licence marks a different path: formal provincial authorisation rather than operating in a legal grey area.

For Alberta, the approaching deadline is a test of how effectively the province can move gray-market traffic into its regulated system, a process other Canadian jurisdictions and international regulators are watching closely as they weigh similar transitions.