CanadianGamingBusiness - Player Protection Hub

IC360’s Ilkim Hincer on why integrity is so integral to Canadian sports betting

CanadianGamingBusinessJuly 16, 202609 views

Canada is a sports-mad nation. Hockey is a national religion, the Toronto Blue Jays captured imaginations with their World Series run last year, this summer’s FIFA World Cup had the entire country watching, the NFL, NBA, CFL, and European soccer all have an eager following, to name but a few.

This enthusiasm for sports has paid off well for the regulated sports betting industry in Ontario. And with Alberta joining its fellow province in launching a regulated market on July 13, the same can reasonably be expected there.

With the emergence of new betting markets and continued expansion of the industry, challenges always come. The conversation around sports integrity is constant, and it has been at fever pitch since last year amid numerous high-profile incidents of alleged match-fixing in North American pro and college sports.

For integrity monitoring and compliance firm Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360), preserving sports betting integrity is a way of life.

“The broader conversation g..

In depth: Is it time for Canadian gaming to ban credit cards?

CanadianGamingBusinessJuly 9, 2026012 views

When U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren took to X earlier this year to denounce what she called a “$10 junk fee just to fund a $20 bet”, she was not merely chastizing payment processors. Warren was signalling that the politics of how gamblers move their money is shifting, and payment rails – once the plumbing of the industry – are becoming a stage for public scrutiny.

South of the border, it feels like a movement is happening. Most major online gambling operators have stopped accepting credit card deposits across their entire U.S. operations, including:

bet365

BetMGM

Caesars

DraftKings

FanDuel

Meanwhile, numerous states already restricted their use for some forms of gambling before 2026, and several others have passed legislation or regulations this year to ban them for online sports betting. What began as a gripe about fees has morphed into a debate about whether gambling with borrowed money should exist at all.

Last week, I asked sports betting companies about Americans getting sc..

BetMGM ready to extend its Connor McDavid effect into Alberta RG campaign

CanadianGamingBusinessJuly 7, 202608 views

BetMGM’s name carries a lot of weight with Canadian customers. So does its choice of partners.

The operator has a leading position in Ontario’s dual online sports betting and iCasino market, which was its first expansion outside the U.S. Imminently, Alberta will become the Entain and MGM Resorts International joint venture’s first new online casino market in four years; BetMGM is signing up customers in that province ahead of regulated Alberta iGaming beginning on July 13.

As both Ontario and Alberta expect and demand from their online sportsbooks and casinos, BetMGM continues to serve customers with access to a range of responsible gambling resources and tools. More than most competitors, the brand has recruited some bona fide Canadian star power to showcase the company’s commitment to player protection.

Enter Edmonton Oilers captain and Canadian hockey icon Connor McDavid.

‘Authenticity and cultural credibility’

BetMGM’s latest responsible gambling campaign, ‘Mullet Over’, is de..

OLG imposes mandatory deposit limits for some younger online gamblers

CanadianGamingBusinessJune 4, 2026036 views

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) now requires some younger players to set mandatory deposit limits to help control their online gambling activity.

Certain players under 25 years old who use OLG’s online platforms must now set a daily, weekly, or monthly cap (or some combination of the three) on how much money they can add to their account. OLG Director of Media Relations Tony Bitonti told Canadian Gaming Business that players will be selected for the new mandatory deposit limits “based on their level of engagement.”

“For example, currently, after a player under 25 deposits $500 or more at one time into their account, they will be prompted to set a deposit limit,” Bitonti added.

Targeted at a vulnerable demographic

The crown corporation said in an OLG press release on June 1 that the new measure, introduced specifically for the under-25 user demographic, is designed to provide further responsible gambling support for a player group that research consistently identifies ..

Ontario Liberals seek to ban online gambling advertising via new legislation

CanadianGamingBusinessMay 26, 2026023 views

A group of Liberal Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) in Ontario have authored legislation that would ban most online gambling advertising in the province.

MPP Lee Fairclough’s Bill 107, titled the “Stop Harmful Gambling Advertising Act,” was introduced in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on Monday. It arrives in addition to a federal effort to rein in sports betting-specific advertising, S-211, which has passed the Senate and currently sits in the House of Commons.

MPPs target all online gambling ads, not just sports

Unlike that federal Private Member’s Bill (PMB), which aims to establish a national framework for regulating sports betting ads, Fairclough’s PMB proposes an explicit ban on online gambling advertising at large. It would amend Ontario’s Gaming Control Act of 1992 to prohibit any of the province’s almost 50 online sportsbooks and online casinos from advertising or otherwise promoting their sites or products in the province.

The bill includes some carveouts, inc..

OLG CEO: recognising risk not the same for every player in Ontario

CanadianGamingBusinessMay 21, 2026028 views

TORONTO — Providing opening remarks at SBC Summit Canada, Duncan Hannay, President & CEO, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), underpinned that as the Ontario gaming sector continues to evolve, safer gambling must be at the forefront of its focus.

He said that it remains “crucial to our industry’s future sustainability,” specifically at a time when the gaming market is growing and changing faster than ever before.

According to Hannay, the way in which safer gambling is promoted is evolving, with the role of gaming providers being increasingly important to a sustainable sector.

How Ontario is shifting on responsible gaming

For OLG, this has led to a shift in the firm’s approach beyond what would be previously classified as a one-size-fits-all program to focus on more tailored, proactive solutions to reach players at key moments during their iGaming journey.

To bolster this strategy, the group has formed a newly created dedicated Safer Gambling team, which boosts data polic..

RGC calls for financial institutions to step up efforts against gambling harm

CanadianGamingBusinessMay 15, 2026041 views

The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) has called upon Canada’s financial sector to take more of a ‘proactive role’ in combatting gambling-related financial harm.

Publishing a new white paper entitled ‘Opportunities for Impact: The Role of Financial Institutions in Mitigating Gambling-Related Harm’, the RGC noted that financial institutions are in a unique position to both understand the financial well-being of their customers and better strategise how to address gambling-related harms.

“The rapid expansion of regulated gambling in Canada requires an evolved response from our financial systems,” says Tracy Parker, SVP, Accreditation, Advisory & Insights at RGC.

“By adopting tools already proven in other jurisdictions, Canadian banks can become leaders in protecting customer financial health.”

According to a 2021 study reported in the Canadian Journal of Public Health,2.7% of Canadians can be identified as “at-risk gamblers” and 0.6% are “problem-gamblers”.

With direct access to ..

Q&A: Responsible Gambling Council CEO Sarah McCarthy on Canadian gaming’s next challenges

CanadianGamingBusinessMay 7, 2026040 views

As Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) Chief Executive Officer, Sarah McCarthy plays a leading role in tackling player protection challenges and helping to shape a responsible future for the Canadian gaming industry.

Ahead of her speaking appearance at SBC Summit Canada 2026, we chatted with McCarthy about life since joining RGC in early 2025, and how she assesses the state of play in modern Canadian gambling.

Parts of this interview have been edited for length and clarity.

Canadian Gaming Business: You’ve now been in your role for more than a year. What are some of the biggest points of pride of your time at the organization so far?

Sarah McCarthy: It’s been a remarkable first year. Honestly, what stands out most is the excellence of the team at the Responsible Gambling Council. It’s such a deeply committed organization, and that’s clearly exemplified in our work towards our vision of a world where gambling never comes at a human cost.

Last year was very successful on multiple fro..

BetMGM brings back Connor McDavid for responsible gambling campaign

CanadianGamingBusinessApril 29, 2026050 views

BetMGM is once again placing responsible gambling at the center of its marketing strategy. But, instead of relying on traditional messaging that often feels distant or overly instructional, the operator is returning with a campaign that feels far more natural and aligned with how players actually consume content today.

By bringing back Connor McDavid, BetMGM is repeating a successful formula but refining it into something that speaks directly to modern players who expect entertainment, clarity, and control to exist within the same experience.

An entertaining campaign

The latest campaign, titled “Mullet Over,” builds on the foundation established by BetMGM’s earlier work, yet it leans more confidently into humor and storytelling, presenting responsible gambling as something that can be understood through everyday moments rather than formal warnings or disclaimers.

In the ad, McDavid appears alongside former NHL player Terry Ryan in a relaxed setting where the message is delivered t..

Canada advances federal bill to limit sports betting advertising

CanadianGamingBusinessApril 23, 2026051 views

Bill S-211, the legislation that would set the stage for the federal government of Canada to take a firmer hand in regulating sports betting advertising, took a significant and unprecedented step forward on Wednesday.

Members of the House of Commons voted 298-21 in favour of sending the National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act on for further discussion in the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

It marks a watershed moment for the legislation. While the proposal to create a federal framework for sports betting advertising across Canada passed the Senate in both 2024 and 2025, the current version is the first that has been taken up for discussion in the opposite chamber.

Prime Minister Carney votes in favour

There is still a long way to go before the legislation can potentially become law. But it’s the latest sign that Canadian Members of Parliament believe that, while the Criminal Code of Canada gives provinces the rights and responsibilities to run online gambling ..