Alberta Already Revises Online Gambling Rules Before Market Opens

Alberta online gambling framework remains months away, yet regulators already adjusted technical requirements that operators must meet before entering the market.

Good to Know

• Alberta updated security rules shortly after releasing initial standards
• Operators now need cybersecurity proof before launch approval
• Changes apply to sportsbooks and online casinos alike

Canada only has one province running a private operator online gambling system. Ontario set that model in motion in 2022. Alberta plans to adopt a similar approach, replacing a single operator system with a competitive marketplace.

Before that shift happens, Alberta regulators moved to refine how companies demonstrate data protection readiness.

The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission confirmed it issued a regulatory bulletin outlining “important amendments” to its standards and requirements for internet gaming. Those standards govern eligibility for private sportsbooks and online casino operators.

Rather than altering licensing structure or market access, the revisions focused narrowly on cybersecurity documentation. Both amendments sit inside the same security assurance standard requirement.

One change clarifies timing. Operators must now hold a current SOC 2 Type 1 attestation from an independent auditor before launch approval. The requirement applies up front, not after operations begin.

SOC 2 refers to System and Organization Controls, a framework used to evaluate how companies protect sensitive information. The Business Development Bank of Canada explains the standard in plain terms. It said:

“System and Organization Controls 2 (SOC 2) is a cybersecurity compliance standard specifying ways for organizations to ensure their client data is stored and processed in a secure manner.”

Alberta regulators want that verification in hand before any bets are accepted or games go live. The intent is to confirm data safeguards rather than react to problems later.

The second amendment adjusts how the security requirement applies across different operational setups, introducing flexibility while maintaining a fixed baseline for protection standards.

All updates arrived less than a month after the original standards were released, signaling that Alberta expects further refinement ahead of launch.

A start date for the new system remains undecided. Once active, Alberta would move beyond Play Alberta, which currently operates as the only legal online gambling option in the province.

Officials previously suggested the rollout could align with a future football season, though no formal timeline has been confirmed.

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