BetMGM officials say the company's first 100 days in Alberta produced stronger early momentum than its Ontario launch, with branded casino games and Edmonton Oilers wagers helping shape player activity.
The sportsbook and online casino operator launched in Alberta on July 13.
What propelled the strong start? The company highlighted local sports loyalties and demand for games tied to familiar entertainment brands.
The news comes in the wake of the strong start in Alberta BetMGM reported earlier this month. And not long after it started poolside betting in Las Vegas.
Branded Games Lead BetMGM Casino Activity
Game of Thrones, which also launced in the U.S. last month, topped the company’s list of leading casino games in Alberta. BetMGM introduced the title in the province in August, following an exclusive Ontario debut in April.
The company listed its top-performing Alberta casino games in this order:
- Game of Thrones
- NHL Blackjack
- Lightning Link High Stakes
- The Price Is Right Gold Blitz Ultimate
- Sugar Rush
The results suggest that recognizable brands and games familiar to land-based casino visitors have helped attract interest in the BetMGM casino offering.
Separate industry findings cited in the announcement offered a broader view of Alberta online casino activity. The September 2026 Eilers-Fantini Canada Online Game Performance Report, using data through August, ranked Aristocrat’s Lightning Link High Stakes first overall among games tracked at participating Alberta operators. Blueprint’s Game of Thrones placed second.
That report covers participating operators, rather than BetMGM alone. Its rankings are separate from the company’s own list of top-performing games.
Oilers Dominate Alberta Stanley Cup Futures
The Edmonton Oilers attracted 50.8% of BetMGM’s Alberta Stanley Cup futures tickets, giving the team more than half of all wagers placed in that category.
Stanley Cup futures are bets on which team will win the championship. The figures reflect the number of betting tickets, not the total amount of money wagered.
BetMGM’s five most-backed Stanley Cup teams in Alberta were:
- Edmonton Oilers
- Montreal Canadiens
- Vegas Golden Knights
- Colorado Avalanche
- Calgary Flames
Ontario bettors showed a different home-team preference. The Toronto Maple Leafs led that province’s rankings with 28.9% of Stanley Cup futures tickets, followed by the Canadiens, Oilers, Florida Panthers and San Jose Sharks.
The comparison shows a more concentrated betting preference for Edmonton among BetMGM’s Alberta customers than for Toronto among its Ontario customers.
Bills Lead Super Bowl Betting in Both Provinces
Alberta and Ontario bettors agreed on their top three Super Bowl choices by ticket count: the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs.
In Alberta, the Seattle Seahawks ranked fourth and the San Francisco 49ers placed fifth. Ontario’s remaining top-five spots went to the Baltimore Ravens and Seahawks, respectively.
The company did not disclose ticket percentages for those teams, leaving the size of the gaps between them unclear.
BetMGM Outlines Responsible Gambling Commitments
Matt Prevost, BetMGM’s chief revenue officer, described Alberta as one of the company’s most exciting launches. He pointed to support for local teams and interest in exclusive casino content while emphasizing responsible growth.
The company also highlighted responsible gambling measures, including deposit limits, session reminders and cooling-off periods.
BetMGM said its approach exceeds Alberta’s mandatory requirements and cited accreditation under the Responsible Gambling Council’s RG Check program. According to the announcement, that accreditation is required for operators in the province’s regulated market.
Information released by the company also outlined integration with Alberta’s centralized self-exclusion system, which would allow players to block themselves from all licensed gaming platforms. However, its forward-looking wording did not make clear whether that integration and every listed tool were already active at the time of the 100-day update.
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