Alberta Online Poker Doesn’t See Any New Operators Enter

The first week of online gambling in Alberta has brought an abundance of both sports betting and iGaming operators. But for the time being, Alberta online poker players don’t have any new options — and the ones they have are on a clock.

That’s because Alberta’s new iGaming rules require regulation of all forms of online betting. That covers electronic slots, sports betting and table games such as blackjack, craps or poker. For iGaming players and sports bettors, the rules have been straightforward.

Both online slots and sports betting have players play against the house. That doesn’t require any other customers, so providers have thrown caution to the wind in Alberta. There are now more than 40 online sportsbook and iGaming providers operating in the province.

Alberta online poker, however, hasn’t seen a single new provider enter the market.

Why Aren’t New Poker Sites Entering Alberta?

The nature of online poker is that players play against each other, with the house merely operating the game. That requires a large player pool, otherwise known as shared liquidity. And because the laws in Alberta are so new, there is no shared liquidity at the moment. The only people Alberta poker players can play against are other people in Alberta.

That limits the player pool to just 5 million maximum. That’s not enough for providers to make money, so there’s currently no attempt to launch a poker site in Alberta.

What Does the Current State of Alberta Online Poker Look Like?

The lack of new options doesn’t mean that Alberta online poker players have no options. The changeover from July 13 included a provision that providers can request a three-month extension in order to comply with new laws. To get the extension, providers must be registered with the province and show a pathway to compliance.

One example of this was PokerStars, which operates under the FanDuel banner. On July 13, PokerStars shut down its online sportsbook and casino games in Alberta, moving players to FanDuel’s new Alberta servers. But PokerStars’ poker servers remain operational in Alberta, and will stay that way until the Oct. 13 final deadline.

After Oct. 13, existing poker sites will either have to cease operations in Alberta, or operate under the rules in place. The expectation is that by Oct. 13, the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AGC) will have reached a shared liquidity agreement with Ontario, as well as possibly other jurisdictions that permit online poker.

What Does the Future of Alberta Online Poker Hold?

The big question is how soon Alberta can achieve shared liquidity with Ontario. Canada’s most populated province went through this in 2023, for many of the same reasons. However, several companies went ahead and launched online poker in Ontario, because that province holds almost 40% of Canada’s population. With 16 million people eligible, Ontario’s market was large enough that an Ontario-only poker site was viable.

Alberta online poker isn’t possible with just 5 million potential players. Alberta officials have recognized this, and are actively working on establishing shared liquidity with Ontario. Bill 48 expressly permits the AGC to seek shared liquidity with any jurisdiction, which could open Alberta online poker to American markets, such as Michigan or Pennsylvania.

Once shared liquidity happens with Ontario, online poker players would have a potential pool of 21 million players. That, coupled with the Oct. 13 mandatory exit, should see online poker options created in Alberta.