Alberta’s new iGaming treatment funding has reached patients. Brick House Recovery Centre now offers free outpatient care for adults facing gambling or iGaming-related difficulties.

Care is available in Edmonton and Calgary, with virtual treatment across the province. The program gives Alberta’s responsible-gambling policy a defined treatment pathway after the regulated iGaming market launched on July 13, 2026.

It also puts the province’s promise to match market expansion with stronger player protection to a practical test.

What the program offers

Brick House’s publicly funded program combines assessment, treatment and recovery support. The core plan includes four weeks of outpatient care, followed by up to eight weeks of individualised aftercare.

  • Part-time and full-time intensive outpatient options.
  • In-person treatment in Edmonton and Calgary.
  • Virtual access for adults across Alberta.
  • Support with coping strategies, financial stability and damaged relationships.

The service is intended for people who are medically and psychiatrically stable enough for outpatient care. Participants may also have substance-use or mental-health concerns, according to the 211 Alberta listing.

Who can access help

Adults aged 18 and older can apply when gambling or iGaming is causing problems. No referral is required, and the service is listed as free with no waiting period.

People can contact Brick House by phone, email or through its website. Professional referrals are also accepted.

211 Alberta provides access and referral information. It also offers assistance by phone, text and chat.

Help is available without a referral for adults who are stable enough for outpatient care. The program combines in-person treatment, provincewide virtual access and support after the initial four weeks.

The money behind the service

Alberta’s government has committed about C$2.4 million to Brick House. That makes it the first organisation funded through the province’s competition for expanded gambling treatment services.

The funding comes through social-responsibility measures tied to Alberta’s regulated iGaming market. The province has set aside 1% of gross gaming revenue for social-responsibility programs, including addiction treatment, education and research.

That 1% figure covers more than treatment alone. It includes the wider group of social-responsibility programs.

Alberta’s iGaming Corporation oversees the market, while Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis regulates it. The government says additional treatment providers are expected to be selected later in the fall.

Why the timing matters

Alberta launched its regulated online market while trying to move players away from unregulated sites. The province says the system includes centralised self-exclusion, advertising restrictions and other player-protection measures.

Treatment access addresses a different problem. Self-exclusion and account controls can help people limit gambling. They do not replace clinical care when gambling has already affected mental health, finances, housing, work or family life.

The new service shifts the debate from whether treatment should be funded to whether people can reach it early enough. It also raises practical questions about virtual care in rural communities and continued support after the first four weeks.

For now, Brick House provides a concrete option. Adults across Alberta can seek free outpatient gambling treatment without a mandatory referral, through two physical locations and a provincewide virtual service.