Canada’s Gaming Advertising Rules Are Tightening: What You Need to Know

With the launch of Alberta’s private online gaming market today, Canada’s gaming advertising environment is entering a period of rapid change. Alberta is the second province to offer legal access to this market, following Ontario’s iGaming launch in 2022. A new national gaming advertising Code is also now in force, so gaming operators, agencies, and affiliates should expect closer scrutiny and a higher bar for responsible advertising.

Alberta’s New iGaming Market: A Parallel Overhaul

On July 13, 2026, Alberta launched a regulated, competitive iGaming market – transitioning away from offshore dominated online play. The province aims to strengthen consumer protections and bring gaming activity into a fully regulated environment.

Key features include:

• AGLC as regulator

• A new Crown corporation (AiGC) to manage commercial contracting

• Multi-step registration and due diligence

• 20% tax on gross gaming revenue

• Mandatory transition or exit for unauthorized operators

Registration remains open to new operators. Once registered, Operators may advertise and accept players’ pre-registrations, but cannot accept deposits or bets until all regulatory milestones are met.

Alberta’s iGaming Advertising Rules

Earlier this summer, Alberta released its full iGaming Advertising and Promotions standards within the Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming handbook, and they are among the most restrictive in Canada.

The rules prohibit all public advertising of inducements, bonuses, and credits, except on an operator’s own gaming site or through direct marketing with express player consent (e.g., emails, texts, direct messages).

Advertising must also promote a responsible gambling environment and must not, for example:

• Target or appeal to minors

• Use themes, language, influencers, celebrities, cartoons, or athletes likely to appeal to minors

• Appear on billboards or outdoor displays adjacent to schools or youth-oriented locations

• Use individuals who are, or appear to be, minors

• Appear in media primarily directed at minors

• Promote excessive play or exploit high risk players

• Mislead players about odds, outcomes, or the role of skill

• Suggest gaming is a financial solution, investment strategy, or path to security

Operators must also ensure marketing systems can exclude minors and high risk players, and that responsible gaming messaging is clear, accurate, and consistent.

These standards impose binding prohibitions, location-based restrictions, and strict limits on athlete and influencer marketing, and go well beyond the self-regulatory Gaming Code described in more detail below.

A National Standard: The New Responsible Gaming Advertising Code

In October 2025, the Canadian Gaming Association introduced the Code for Responsible Gaming Advertising, a voluntary national framework administered by Ad Standards. It took effect January 1, 2026 and, for the first time, provides a consistent benchmark for responsible gaming advertising across Canada.

The Code reinforces – and in some cases exceeds – provincial legal/contractual requirements. Its five pillars set clear expectations:

• Truthful, transparent advertising: Accurate odds, clear disclosures, no urgency‑driven or misleading messaging.

• Social responsibility: Gaming portrayed as entertainment, not a financial solution or emotional escape.

• Adult‑only audience: Strong age‑gating, limits on influencers, and mandatory disclosure of material connections.

• Prominent responsible‑gaming statements: Clear, visible “Play Responsibly”‑type messaging in every ad.

• Strict inducement rules: Bonus offers limited to operator sites, age‑gated platforms, or direct communications to verified players.

Even though the Code is voluntary, it is already shaping national expectations for responsible advertising.

A Broader National Shift Toward Accountability

The combination of the new Code and Alberta’s regulatory overhaul signals a maturing Canadian gaming market. The direction is clear: more structure, more responsibility, and more oversight.

For operators active across provinces, this means:

• Harmonizing advertising practices to meet the strictest standards

• Preparing for scrutiny of inducements and influencer activity

• Ensuring consistent responsible‑gaming messaging

• Building adaptable compliance frameworks as provincial rules evolve

The Code may be voluntary, but the reputational and operational risks of non‑compliance are real.

What Businesses Should Do Now

To prepare for this evolving landscape, gaming operators and agencies should audit advertising practices across jurisdictions, review inducement and bonus marketing, strengthen age‑gating and influencer controls, ensure responsible‑gaming messaging is prominent, and prepare for rapid updates as Alberta’s regulators respond to the new market and enforce standards.

Final Thought

Canada’s gaming advertising rules are tightening, expectations are rising, and regulators are signaling a more proactive stance. With a national Code now in effect and Alberta’s new market now launched, responsible advertising should be treated as a priority compliance issue.

If you’d like to discuss how these developments may affect your advertising or marketing activities, please reach out.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.