Alberta iGaming Corporation names Keene permanent chief executive
Dan Keene has been named permanent CEO of the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC), two months ahead of the launch of the province’s regulated online gaming sector.
Previously working as the organisation’s interim CEO, Keene was appointed on a permanent basis effective from 21 April, according to a press release issued by AiGC yesterday (19 May).
The timing of this appointment is crucial, as AiGC will open up Alberta’s regulated online gambling to the private sector on 13 July .
This follows a structural change the province has been building toward since Bill 48, the iGaming Alberta Act, received royal assent in May 2025.
Alberta will become only the second Canadian province to allow competing private operators, following Ontario’s lead from April 2022.
Sanjeev Kad, AiGC board chair, said Keene brings “deep operational experience and a strong track record in gaming and market development.”
He added that his leadership “will be essential as the Alberta iGaming Corporation prepares for launch and delivers a regulated market built on social responsibility and player protection.”
Keene is not new to the file. He held the position of vice president at the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) from mid-2022.
In this role, he was responsible for all the gambling activities in the province that included 30 casinos, numerous VLT sites, and other online services.
Gaming operators anxiously awaiting launch
Keene was among those who built Winner’s Edge, Alberta’s first province-wide casino loyalty scheme. He also oversaw PlayAlberta.ca, which remains today the sole licensed online gambling site operating in the province.
Earlier at the AGLC, he managed casino products, heading a specialist team that chose slot machines and gaming terminals for venues across Alberta.
Before entering the public sector, he worked at Molson Breweries and Century Casinos Inc.
The market he now prepares to open is attracting major names. There are 28 operators that have received approvals from the AGLC, including FanDuel, DraftKings, PointsBet Canada, and others.
This framework is drawn from the iGaming Alberta Act, passed in May 2025.
Under that framework, the AGLC handles licensing and regulatory enforcement while AiGC signs commercial agreements with approved operators and manages the market’s day-to-day conduct.
The province has set a 20% tax on gross gaming revenue and built a centralised self-exclusion system covering both online and land-based venues before a single private bet is placed.
Grey-market operators have been told to cease taking Alberta wagers by 13 July or forfeit any path to licensing.
Ontario’s experience offers a benchmark. Ontario launched its open market in April 2022, and it currently estimates that over 80% of iGaming activity in the province is channelled through regulated operators.
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