Stake has received its gaming license in Alberta and is preparing to enter the province’s regulated iGaming market with a planned launch on October 12, positioning the crypto-friendly operator as one of the later entrants to Canada’s newest online gambling jurisdiction.
Stake Canada Ltd., a subsidiary of Stake Gaming and Easygo Group, secured its operator registration from the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) on September 24. The approval marked the company’s first formal step into a regulated Canadian provincial market, following its earlier entry into Ontario.
Registration with the AGLC represents one of two requirements for market participation in Alberta. Before accepting bets, every operator must also execute a commercial agreement with Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), the Crown corporation responsible for overseeing commercial contracts, anti-money laundering compliance, public complaints, and financial oversight.
As of late September, Stake was still finalizing that commercial agreement, which governs the market’s revenue-sharing structure. Under the Alberta framework, operators retain 80 percent of gaming revenue, with the remaining 20 percent directed to the province.
A Competitive and Crowded Marketplace
Stake enters a market that launched on July 13, 2026, following the passage of the iGaming Alberta Act (Bill 48). Alberta became the second Canadian province, after Ontario, to open its online gambling market to private operators.
The launch environment has been notably competitive:
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Nearly 50 companies paid the $200,000 registration and permit fees ahead of the market’s July opening.
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Approximately 28 operators, including FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars, and bet365, received initial approval from the AGLC.
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Operators were required to comply with licensing rules by July 13, with limited extensions available until October 13.
Stake’s planned October 12 arrival places it just inside that extension window. It joins other operators, including Super Group’s Betway, that have opted to defer their Alberta entries until the fall rather than launch at the market’s opening.
Stake’s entry carries weight for several reasons. The brand is one of the most recognizable names in global online casino and sports betting, with a substantial international customer base, and its Alberta platform is expected to offer both a full sportsbook and online casino product.
For the province, each additional licensed operator expands channelization – the movement of players from unregulated offshore sites to legal, taxed alternatives. That objective was central to the province’s rationale for opening the market, which had previously been served exclusively by the government-run PlayAlberta platform.
