GG Poker Secures Gaming License for Poker in Alberta

Legal poker in Alberta could be taking shape in the near future, as the world's largest provider of online poker appears ready to enter the market.

GG Poker, which runs the World Series of Poker, secured a license to legally operate in Alberta as of Aug. 12, 2026. The license is good for one year, with the potential for extensions. Presumably, this could be the first step on the path toward shared liquidity, a vital step for poker in Alberta.

GG Poker already operates legally in Ontario, where it controls over half of the online poker market. But because Ontario's gambling laws worked differently than the rest of Canada until July, poker players there have only been able to play against other poker players in Ontario.

Alberta's entry into legal iGaming brought the potential for shared liquidity. This concept allows locations with similar gambling rules to pool all players together, allowing bettors to gamble with and against players in other locations. Because poker involves players betting against each other instead of the house, liquidity encourages more games and makes poker more enticing to play.

What Has Poker in Alberta Looked Like Since the New Gambling Laws?

There hasn't been much in the way of poker. When Alberta's new gambling laws came into effect, not a single poker operator applied for a license.

The lack of liquidity was the primary problem. Only about 4 million people are eligible to bet in Alberta, and current rules require the province to be geofenced from other locations that don't operate under the same gambling laws.

For iGaming and sports betting, this wasn't an issue. Neither requires a bettor to compete against other bettors, so iGaming providers jumped into the new Alberta market. Poker didn't see any action at all, and the thinking was that it wouldn't until shared liquidity became a reality.

What Could Poker in Alberta Look Like Moving Forward?

GG Poker's entrance suggests it might not be long before things develop in both Alberta and Ontario. Bringing both provinces under one umbrella would take the potential player pool from 4 million to around 17 million, making games far more accessible for poker players in Alberta.

Beyond that, liquidity could expand to other markets around the world. GG Poker has licenses in several European countries, including Germany, the Netherland and the United Kingdom. Expanding liquidity to these locations could drastically increase the number of available poker games in Alberta.

When Could GG Poker Launch in Alberta?

Most likely, GG Poker will take its time building its site. It currently doesn't have any rush, as it's the only poker operator to secure an Alberta license. Moreover, its hold in Ontario means it would become a dominant name in Alberta whenever it enters.

However, GG Poker probably won't launch in Alberta until after October 7. That's when the Supreme Court of Canada is scheduled to hear appeals in Atlantic Lottery Corporation v. Attorney General of Ontario. That case first made liquidity available in Ontario, although the ruling is pending all appeals.

Should the Supreme Court side with Ontario, GG Poker would likely launch with shared liquidity soon after. A favorable ruling could see legal poker in Alberta by the end of the year, depending on the speed of the Supreme Court.