Alberta Online Casino

Alberta may not usually be first on people’s minds when you mention Canada. However, it has plenty of details that make it stand out among the thirteen Canadian provinces and territories.

Home to over four million people, it is one of the only two landlocked provinces of Canada. Interestingly, more than half of Alberta’s population lives in either Calgary or Edmonton.

Alberta contributes slightly over 15% of Canada’s GDP, owing to its oil and gas industry. In fact, the province provides over 70% of the oil and natural gas that is exploited in the country!

Unsurprisingly, such a standout province has plenty of citizens interested in gambling. In recent times, Alberta passed the Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Act.

Top Online Casinos for Alberta October 2024

Albertans looking for a new Canadian online casino to call home have plenty of choices ahead of them.

Our selection includes all websites that accept registrations from the province. Casinos are ranked based on how many games they offer, the quality of their promotions, and many other metrics.

Why Albertans Are Switching to Online Casinos

While online casinos have been around for a while, many Albertans have only recently started to make the switch. However, those who get past that initial hurdle have nothing but positive things to say.

It might not be like the real thing, that much is true. However, online casinos offer several conveniences and advantages that brick-and-mortar establishments do not.

Privacy

Going to a real-world casino is undeniably fun. However, anyone who sees you there will know you like to gamble. While this hardly matters nowadays, we can certainly understand if you do not want people to know.

For shy gamblers, online casinos offer the ability to play casino games from the comforts of your own home. All the action is handled through your phone, tablet, or computer. It helps with your privacy to a degree, and you save up on any traveling costs you might otherwise have.

Of course, you cannot expect total privacy from online casinos either. Websites have to verify your identity, that you are of age, and that you acquired your deposited funds legally.

Because of that, signing up to online casinos requires you to give them your full name, birthday, and address.

Additionally, you will need to verify the information by sending them a document confirming the information you listed. The exact requirements vary depending on what online casino you play in.

Ease to play

As we already mentioned, online casinos are convenient. After all, playing your favourite online slots/games is only a few taps away at any given time. With an internet connection and money in your casino account, you can play anywhere.

You can enjoy casino games at home or while you are outside. Thanks to the rise of the live casino, you no longer sacrifice as much immersion as you usually might. Such games simulate a real casino table, complete with actual dealers with who you can interact.

Of course, constant exposure to an online casino requires strict systems to restrict you from playing too much. All Albertan online casinos must offer responsible gaming limitations.

This includes limiting how much you can deposit per day, week, or month, and allowing you to self-exclude. Once you set any of these limits, you will be unable to change them for some time.

This prevents casino members from stepping over their boundaries and causing themselves issues in the future.

Bonuses

Another advantage players from Alberta can expect are casino bonuses and plenty of them at that. Offshore online casinos have heavy competition since countless other websites also offer similar games.

As such, frequent and rewarding promotions are very common among online casinos. Signing up to the best websites allows you to benefit from plenty of free spins, cashbacks, and deposit match offers. Occasionally, you might also stumble on a no-deposit bonus or other fun goodies.

That said, keep in mind that all of these promotions have terms and conditions. Some are obvious: you need to wager a certain amount of funds before you can withdraw your bonus winnings.

Others can be rather sneaky, such as setting a maximum win limit on a promotion. The best way to dodge these shady bonuses is to thoroughly read their terms and conditions. Alternatively, stick to the highly rated online casinos on our website, which do not have such hidden limitations.

Payment options

With both Alberta and Canada, in general, being accepting of online casinos, many everyday payment options can be used. If you use Interac, you will be happy to know numerous gaming websites support it.

As such, you can deposit and withdraw funds with a very convenient payment method. Credit and debit cards are also accepted. That said, the offer is usually limited to just Visa and MasterCard cards.

Of course, these are not the only payment options for Albertans playing online casinos. Casino members can also use numerous e-wallets, like MuchBetter, Ecopayz, and Instadebit, to handle their transactions.

E-wallet deposits and withdrawals are usually faster than other payment methods. However, e-wallets will usually have their own set of fees to worry about.

Albertans can also find Bitcoin casinos, though websites that support this payment method are still not widespread.

Customer service

Support staff is usually on hand to help answer any questions and resolve any problems you have. Customer service can be contacted in several ways. The most common is via live chat, where players talk to support staff through a chatbox.

You can also send customer service an e-mail. This is slower than live chat, but it works reliably. Last on the list is calling support staff via phone.

Keep in mind you will have to pay extra fees if the number is not from Canada. Furthermore, not all casinos will have all of these contact methods available.

How Does Alberta Regulate Casinos

All regulation of casinos, both physical and online, is handled through the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission. Through the AGLC, the province sets all the rules for playing casino games, bingo, lottery tickets, raffles, and pull tickets.

Online casinos being legal in Alberta is a relatively new development. It changed in October 2020, when the province of Alberta launched its own online casino Playalberta.ca. Currently, this is the only online casino you can play in this province that is 100% legal.

However, this does not restrict players from enjoying offshore websites. Best we can tell, they exist in the same state they have before the AGLC changed their regulations in October.

Such online casinos exist in a gray zone. For now, you will not run into any issues playing on websites other than Playalberta.ca.

This might change in the future, so we recommend any Albertans playing elsewhere stay aware of the situation. We will do our best to keep you updated should anything happen as well.

Taxes

Best we can tell, Alberta itself does not tax any winnings you gain from the casino. Instead, the province defers to federal law on this matter.

According to Canadian federal law, gambling is not a constant source of income for the player. It is not income gained from employment, property, or other viable sources.

As such, winnings gained from gambling cannot be taxed in Canada, and by proxy, in Alberta. This applies to online casinos, as well as horseracing, sports betting, lotteries, and other games of chance.

That said, Canadians have to legally declare any interest they earn on their winnings. This is done by filling out a T5 form for the interest, which is taxable, unlike your winnings.

Regulatory outlook

As we already mentioned, all regulation of online casinos in Alberta is made through the AGLC. Currently, the commission has only issued a license to one online casino.

One run by the province of Alberta itself. Revenue generated by Play Alberta Casino goes back into the government of Alberta’s general revenue fund. This fund is used to support valued programs, and services Albertans rely on every day.

Because of that, we do not see Alberta’s gaming commission starting to issue licenses left and right anytime soon. Through Playalberta.ca, the province keeps all the revenue and can spend it on the needs of its citizens.

According to one official, the website was launched to reduce the profits of illegal gambling sites. For the time being, offshore online casinos remain available in Alberta. However, this might change if Play Alberta Casino becomes more popular.

Getting Help with Responsible Gambling in Alberta

The Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission does more than just regulate gambling activity in the province. It also runs all responsible gambling and self-exclusion programs in Alberta.

The AGLC runs an educational campaign called GameSense, which helps players understand how different forms of gambling work.

It also helps players understand the odds of winning, dispel common gambling myths, and guide them to find support to play better. The website is full of useful tips, so we recommend all new casino members check it out at some point.

Of course, there is more to responsible gambling than just useful tips to limit your losses. The commission also runs a responsible self-exclusion program that blocks players from problematic gambling.

By entering yourself into the self-exclusion program, you will be barred from playing in Play Alberta. Not only that, but you will also be blocked from entering any brick-and-mortar casinos or racing entertainment centres.

Players can set their exclusion time, ranging from six months to three years. Self-exclusion begins immediately after you sign the agreement and lasts for the full duration you choose.

Players cannot cancel or change the agreement in any way. Your information is shared with security offices in all Albertan casinos and racing entertainment centres. If you attempt to enter either one before the exclusionary period is over, you will be removed from the premises.

After completing the agreement, you can opt into receiving follow-up calls from the AGLC self-exclusion program staff. Depending on the length of your exclusion, you will receive follow-up calls anywhere between every 10 days to every 175 days.

These calls will provide additional resource information and check to see how you are doing with the program.

You can self-exclude by calling the AGLC’s self-exclusion program specialist at 780-447-7582 or 1-844-468-8034. Additionally, you can do so at the AGLC’s offices and GameSense Info Centres.

Players can also sign up for the program through partner organizations. The first is Problem Gambling Resources Network, which can be contacted via e-mail: [email protected].