Alberta iGaming licence cost starts with a 50,000 CAD application fee to the AGLC and a 150,000 CAD annual registration fee for each gaming site. Those two numbers are the entry price, not the full budget. The real cost of launching in Alberta runs wider. It adds company setup, key compliance staff, technology certification, a security attestation, an independent controls audit, and the province’s share of revenue. An Alberta iGaming licence pairs an AGLC registration with a commercial agreement, and both sit on top of the costs below. This guide sets out each cost line, what drives it, and the fee questions operators still need to confirm before they commit a budget.
Key takeaways
- Regulator: Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC); the Alberta iGaming Corporation holds the commercial agreement
- Operator application fee: 50,000 CAD, one-time and non-refundable
- Annual registration fee: 150,000 CAD for each gaming site
- Supplier fees: 15,000 CAD for platform and critical-system providers; 3,000 CAD for other suppliers
- Revenue: operators keep 80% of net iGaming revenue; the province keeps 20%, plus 3% of gross gaming revenue for provincial priorities
- Scope: the fees cover players physically located in Alberta only
Alberta iGaming licence cost: the AGLC fees
The AGLC charges an operator a 50,000 CAD application fee and a 150,000 CAD annual registration fee for each gaming site. Both fees are non-refundable, and both fall due when you submit the application. So an operator commits the full first-year fee before the market approves the file. Because the annual fee attaches to a site, an operator that runs a casino and a sportsbook under separate sites pays the annual fee twice.
The fee schedule is set by the AGLC and applies to every registered operator. The legal basis for that schedule sits in the iGaming Alberta Act, which created the two-body model. The table below shows the operator fees before any other cost of entry.
| Operator fee | Amount (CAD) | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | 50,000 | One-time, non-refundable, due at application |
| Annual registration fee | 150,000 | Per gaming site, each year |
You can confirm the current figures on the AGLC Fee Schedule, which the regulator updates from time to time. Verify the amount before you budget, since a published schedule can change between registration rounds.
Supplier registration fees
Suppliers register in their own class and pay less than operators. A platform provider or critical gaming-system supplier pays a 15,000 CAD annual registration fee. Other suppliers, such as e-wallet providers, odds-makers and independent integrity monitors, pay 3,000 CAD a year. These fees are separate from operator fees, so a group that both operates a brand and supplies technology carries both.
| Supplier type | Annual fee (CAD) |
|---|---|
| Platform and critical gaming-system providers | 15,000 |
| Other suppliers (e-wallets, odds-making, integrity monitoring) | 3,000 |
A supplier registration does not authorise a player-facing brand. If your business model needs both, budget for the operator fees on top of the supplier fee. So supplier fees are the smaller side of the Alberta iGaming licence cost.
Full Alberta iGaming licence cost beyond the AGLC fees
The AGLC fees are the visible part of Alberta iGaming licence cost. The larger spend sits underneath them, and most of it goes to third parties before go-live. First, the entity itself needs a corporate base and the right key employees. Then the platform needs certification and a security attestation. After that, the controls need an independent audit. Each item carries its own cost, and none of them appears in the 50,000 or 150,000 figure.
| Cost item | What drives it |
|---|---|
| Corporate setup | Entity formation, directors and disclosure preparation |
| Key employees | Senior compliance officer, CFO, controller and CIO roles the AGLC expects |
| AML/TF program | Building and staffing a program aligned with federal FINTRAC and the PCMLTFA |
| Legal and advisory | Dual-track registration with the AGLC and a commercial agreement with the AiGC |
| Technology certification | Testing of games, RNGs and critical systems by an accredited testing facility |
| SOC 2 attestation | A SOC 2 Type 1 report at go-live, per gaming site |
| Independent audit | Third-party audit of the Control Activity Matrix |
| Self-exclusion integration | Separate build for Alberta’s centralized program |
Two items catch operators out. The self-exclusion build is one, because Alberta runs its own centralized program that operators integrate directly into their sites. A team that already serves the Ontario iGaming licence market cannot reuse its OASIS integration, so Alberta needs its own build and testing. The other is staffing, since the compliance, finance and technology roles are ongoing salaries rather than one-time fees. Our gaming company incorporation team handles the corporate and disclosure work at the front of this list.
Ongoing Alberta iGaming licence cost after launch
The 150,000 CAD annual fee per site repeats every year, but it is not the only recurring cost. Certification is continuous. Every new game, studio or system change brings its own testing scope. A re-certification cost follows when a vulnerability or modification appears. The SOC 2 attestation renews on a cycle, and the AGLC has signalled a more stringent security requirement scheduled for 2028. On top of that, the AML program, the compliance roles and the control audit all recur each year.
The detail of these operating duties sits in our guide to Alberta iGaming compliance rules, which maps each standard to the control behind it. For the ongoing key functions and reporting, our gaming licensing compliance team owns the work after launch. In short, treat the annual fee as a floor and add the recurring third-party and staffing costs on top.
The revenue share and levies on top of the fees
Alberta takes a share of revenue as well as the fixed fees. Operators keep 80% of net iGaming revenue, while the province retains 20%. Before that split, the province sets aside 3% of gross gaming revenue for provincial priorities. That 3% divides into 2% for First Nations initiatives and 1% for social responsibility programs. So the revenue share is part of the Alberta iGaming licence cost, not a separate add-on. For the tax side, including corporate income tax and player-winnings treatment, see our guide to the Alberta iGaming tax rules.
The Government of Alberta sets out the model in its iGaming fact sheet. This article covers the cost to the operator. For the market-size projections and how the split plays out, see our breakdown of Alberta iGaming revenue. The commercial terms behind the split sit with the Alberta iGaming Corporation agreement.
Alberta iGaming licence cost questions to confirm before budgeting
Some cost points are not yet fixed in the published material, so these open items can move the Alberta iGaming licence cost up or down. Confirm them in writing before you set a number. The multi-brand question is the first. If you plan to run several brands or skins under one registration, ask the AGLC how it applies the 150,000 CAD annual fee. That fee attaches to the sites named on your registration. The regulator sets out the steps in its application guide for iGaming registration.
Three more points sit on the revenue side. First, confirm how the Alberta iGaming Corporation defines gross gaming revenue for the 80/20 split and the 3% levy. Second, check whether any deductions apply before the split is calculated. Then confirm whether the commercial agreement carries any minimum financial performance obligations. Each answer changes the model, so resolve them before you file rather than after.
What the Alberta iGaming licence cost does not cover
An Alberta registration authorises play by users physically located in Alberta. The fee buys no access to other Canadian provinces, and each province runs its own framework. An operator that also wants Ontario players registers there separately and pays that jurisdiction’s own fees. So the Alberta iGaming licence cost buys access to one province, not the whole country. Outside Canada, an Alberta registration carries no weight in the European Union, the United Kingdom or the United States.
The published sources do not detail the cost of setting up commercial banking, though payment processors register as suppliers in their own class. Gaming-friendly banking still takes time to arrange, so factor it into the timeline and set it up in parallel with the AGLC registration.
Planning your Alberta budget
Three figures anchor the budget: the 50,000 CAD application fee, the 150,000 CAD annual fee per site, and the province’s revenue share. In addition, that share includes 20% of net revenue plus a 3% gross gaming revenue levy. Therefore, operators should include both the fixed fees and the revenue-based costs when calculating the total Alberta iGaming licence cost. Together they give you the working Alberta iGaming licence cost before you add certification and staffing. Around those numbers, plan for the SOC 2 attestation, the control audit, the AML program and the compliance roles the AGLC expects. For a costed Alberta entry plan, contact the DD Consultus advisory team at contact@licencegaming.com or +356 99408536.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an Alberta iGaming licence cost?
An operator pays a one-time application fee of 50,000 CAD and an annual registration fee of 150,000 CAD for each gaming site. Both fees go to the AGLC and are non-refundable. The full cost of entry also includes corporate setup, certification, a SOC 2 attestation, an independent audit, compliance staffing and the province’s revenue share.
Is the 150,000 CAD fee charged per site or per operator?
The annual registration fee applies to each gaming site, not to the operator as a whole. An operator that runs more than one site pays the fee for each one. Operators planning several brands should ask the AGLC how the fee applies across the sites named on their registration.
Are AGLC iGaming fees refundable?
No. The application fee and the annual registration fee are non-refundable, and both are payable when the operator submits its application. That means the first-year cost is committed before the AGLC completes its review.
How much do supplier registrations cost in Alberta?
Platform providers and critical gaming-system suppliers pay a 15,000 CAD annual registration fee. Other suppliers, such as e-wallet providers, odds-makers and integrity monitors, pay 3,000 CAD a year. A supplier registration does not authorise a player-facing brand.
What does the province take from operator revenue?
Operators keep 80% of net iGaming revenue and the province retains 20%. Before that split, the province sets aside 3% of gross gaming revenue, divided as 2% for First Nations initiatives and 1% for social responsibility. The Government of Alberta publishes this model in its iGaming fact sheet.
What ongoing costs do operators face after launch?
The 150,000 CAD annual fee repeats for each site, and recurring third-party costs sit on top. These include game and system re-certification, SOC 2 renewal, the control audit, and the AML program and compliance roles. A more stringent security requirement is scheduled for 2028.
Does the Alberta fee cover players in other provinces?
No. An Alberta registration authorises play by users located in Alberta only. An operator that wants Ontario players registers separately with the AGCO and iGaming Ontario and pays that jurisdiction’s fees.
Do operators need advisors, and does that add to the cost?
Alberta uses a dual-track model that pairs AGLC registration with a commercial agreement with the Alberta iGaming Corporation. Operators usually engage legal and compliance advisors familiar with the Canadian framework, which adds to the entry cost. The AGLC still runs its own due diligence and compliance review of every applicant.