If you’re looking for an online casino, Alberta has all that it takes. Canada’s Western state, with a population of 4.5 million, offers both – a licensed and government-owned casino (Play Alberta) and countless out-of-country options with a broader choice of games.
In this guide, we’ll talk you through the following core topics:
If you’re already well-informed about these topics, pick one of our recommended Alberta online casino sites from the following table.
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When choosing an online casino, Alberta based or not, one of the most important features is its game selection. Ideally, you want to ensure the site features titles from all the different categories to avoid having to log in at several operators.
Registering at an Alberta online gambling site is almost a guarantee that this is the case, considering the wealth of online casino options available at your fingertips.
In Alberta, slots are the most popular game among AB residents by a mile, but table and card games, e.g., roulette, blackjack, and baccarat, are equally accessible. Players can even participate in poker tournaments online, play bingo, or try their luck in the lottery.
Due to the popularity of slots in Alberta, online casinos focus on them to keep players happy. At PlayAlberta.ca, the province’s only local gambling site, AB residents have access to 118 titles (as of 2024).
Unfortunately, if you’re looking for the most popular or newest online slot titles, you will quickly realize that those aren’t included in the catalog. For this, you will have to sign up with an international online casino.
Offshore casinos are licensed outside of Canada and known for their wider choice of games and better gameplay. Their slot catalog includes titles from big names like NetEnt, Play’n GO, Big Time Gaming, or Pragmatic Play.
What’s more, you also get access to games with unique features, such as BTG’s Megaways or progressive jackpot slots. Mega Moolah or Mega Fortune rings a bell? In Alberta, these games and their multi-million dollar jackpots are available to you.
We cannot avoid mentioning the current legal situation when discussing offshore casinos. For years, residents of Alberta and other provinces have been wondering whether registering and logging in at an out-of-state online casino is legal.
We discussed this topic extensively in our legal gambling guide for Canada, so please have a read-through before signing up with one of these casino sites.
In short, however, we can say this:
Offshore online casinos are neither legal nor illegal in Canada. What it means is that current laws prohibit you from engaging in real money games with an operator not approved by the AGLC, Alberta’s gaming commission.
Canada’s gambling laws are outdated. They do not refer to online gambling, creating the legal gray area from which offshore online casinos have benefited for nearly two decades.
Therefore, AB residents can register and play at offshore online casinos and win real money. No player in Canada’s and Alberta’s history has ever been prosecuted for doing so, and it’s unlikely to change.
However, if you feel this is still not for you, keep reading about Alberta’s fully legal option, the website www.playalberta.ca.
Play Alberta is the province’s official gaming site, giving people in AB the option to play slots, live dealer games, and participate in sports betting and the lottery.
To register, you must submit personal information, including your full name, address, and employer details. The latter is what keeps some players away from gambling at playalbert.ca, as no one likes to connect work and other activities (especially gambling).
There is also a Play Alberta app, which allows you to do all the above while on the go. The application is easily installed on your smartphone, whether an iPhone, Android, or Windows phone.
As with all native applications, not only the Play Alberta app, you will only get limited games when playing outside your browser. When you install an app, you must host resources, e.g., games, which take up space on your device. For that reason, operators only pre-install a limited selection of slots and table games with their apps, and you have to download additional titles manually.
Finally, let’s answer two questions that a lot of you folks seem to wonder about:
Of course, gambling doesn’t only happen online, and Alberta also offers a few land-based casinos. You can find over 30 casino and entertainment centers across Alberta, most of which are around the city of Calgary.
The Century Casino in Edmonton is one of your province’s most popular gambling venues. It boasts slots and VLTs, table games, a high-limit zone, and even progressive jackpot slots.
The opening hours at Century Casino are Saturday to Sunday, from 9:30am to 4am. The slots section opens half an hour later each day.
13103 Fort Road
Edmonton, AB T5A 1C3
Phone: 780-643-4000
The St. Albert Casino is another hot pick by Albertans. It is also operated by the Century Casino group and offers the same range of games as the casino in Edmonton. However, unlike its partner brand, the St. Albert venue does not have a high-limit section for high rollers.
The casino is open each day of the week from 9:30am to 4am. Table games don’t open until noon, close at 2am on weekdays, and at 3am on weekends.
24 Boudreau Road
St. Albert, AB, T8N 6K3
Phone: 780-460-8092
If you live closer to the Calgary area, you should check out the Cash Casino Red Deer. Like its flagship venue in the city, the Red Deer branch offers slots and VLTs, table games (including electronic table games), a high-limit section, and a poker room with 13 poker tables.
Cash Casinos in Red Deer and Calgary city are open from 9am to 3am during the week and 24 hours on weekends. The slots section and the poker room are available around the clock, whereas table games operate daily from noon to 3am.
6350 – 67 Street
Red Deer, AB, T4P 3L7
Phone: 403-346-3339
Anyone 18 years and over can gamble legally in Alberta, CA. This includes land-based casinos, the government-owned site Play Alberta, and offshore online casinos.
Alberta gaming commission, which oversees casinos, slot and VLT games, raffles, and lottery games, is the AGLC.
Yes, you can play progressive jackpot slots online and offline across the province of Alberta. The Diamond Millions slot, for example, frequently holds a jackpot of over 1 million CAD.
Generally, you don’t have to pay taxes on your winnings from a casino, online or offline. The only exception is poker, which is considered a skill-based game, whereas slots and VLTs are based on luck. However, the government will only tax you if you frequently engage and win in poker tournaments since it will consider you a professional poker player.
Gambling addiction is a serious condition that needs to be treated immediately. For help, please visit problemgamblingalberta.ca or call 780-461-1259, available weekdays from 10am to 4pm. For general information, you may also refer to our responsible gambling guide.