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Swedish regulator targets influencers in illegal gambling battle

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The Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen, has conducted a major crackdown on influencers promoting illegal gambling operators.

According to the regulatory body, it initiated supervision against several influencers who were found to have marketed illegal gambling through their online channels, predominantly on the video-sharing platform Twitch.

The marketing of illegal gambling activities, if aimed at Swedish customers, is prohibited under the country’s Gambling Act.

Spelinspektionen explained in a statement that its operational plan for the year is to focus on “young people’s gambling and illegal gambling”.

“The Swedish Gambling Authority will continue to conduct supervision against influencers and other actors who conduct or promote illegal gambling under the Gambling Act,” the regulator added.

Following the supervision, Spelinspektionen confirmed that the influencers in question had stopped marketing illegal gambling.

A global issue

Sweden’s focus on advertising standards follows a focus on influencer advertising that has been witnessed in many jurisdictions around the world.

Most recently, Kenya’s regulator, the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLC), published a strict set of rules on advertising, which include a ban on using influencers and content creators to promote gambling.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian market hit the headlines following testimony from the beauty and lifestyle influencer, Virginia Fonseca. When questioned by Senators, Fonseca appeared to demonstrate a lack of knowledge about the gaming products she was advertising, underpinning the need for clarity in the newly regulated markets’ advertising policy.

Alongside regulators, the streaming platforms that are at the heart of the advertising efforts have also undertaken policy changes to try and target the promotion of illegal gambling operators.

YouTube toughened its guidelines on content related to gambling, prohibiting the promotion of “unapproved” websites by creators.

In the case of gambling sites, this refers to those that don’t meet local requirements and haven’t been reviewed by YouTube or parent company Google.

Twitch updated its policy towards certain gambling-related content in 2022, announcing a ban on the streaming of gambling sites not licensed in the US or other jurisdictions that “provide sufficient consumer protection”.

However, such a policy does not stretch to creators promoting illegal gambling sites through advertisements.

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BetMGM warned over marketing featuring FC Barcelona star Lamine Yamal

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Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gaming authority, has issued a warning to BetMGM for violating its advertising laws after an advertorial featuring FC Barcelona star Lamine Yamal appeared on a news website.

Dutch law prohibits online gambling operators from advertising with role models. They must also make sure any adverts produced don’t appeal to vulnerable groups, including minors.

A statement by the KSA revealed that BetMGM’s advertising campaign was published by the news website’s editors and was online for a short period. A media company affiliated with BetMGM discovered the advert and reported it back to BetMGM.

However, KSA noted that they didn’t hear anything about the advert from the operator themselves. The news website in question was also not identified.

The Dutch regulator said: “A BetMGM-affiliated media company discovered the violation and reported it back to BetMGM. The provider did not report it, but should have: licensees are required to inform the KSA of errors on their part that could pose a danger to consumers.”

BetMGM has only been issued with a warning by the KSA, as the regulator said the operator “quickly ended the violation and took adequate measures to prevent recurrence.

“However, the KSA emphasises that it remains the responsibility of providers to comply with the laws and regulations when they outsource advertising campaigns to external parties,” the regulator added.

“Incidents must also be reported immediately, regardless of whether an internal investigation is already underway. If violations in the area of ​​advertising occur, the KSA can take enforcement action, even if an external partner is involved.”

The BetMGM brand in Europe is operated by LeoVegas Group. The brand has launched in the markets of the UK, Sweden and the Netherlands, where it has been licensed since April last year.

In February, MGM Resorts International’s President of MGM Interactive, Gary Fritz, stated during the operator’s Q4 2024 earnings call that investments in organic growth with the BetMGM brand in European markets are “going well” so far in 2025.

Fritz said: “Growth is strong, and we believe the operating losses associated with the market entries are going to narrow throughout 2025, setting us up with a really strong exit rate and a meaningful opportunity for operational inflection going into ’26.”

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UKGC: New Consumer Voice framework to deliver high-quality research quickly

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The UK Gambling Commission is committed to delivering high-quality research efficiently through its new Consumer Voice framework, which introduces four specialist research suppliers with unique expertise.

Consumer Voice aims to help the gambling regulator understand the experiences of UK gamblers, providing information alongside the Gambling Survey for Great Britain. It seeks to offer a “flexible, targeted approach to gathering insight” and a way to conduct “deep dives into specific issues, test new ideas, and track consumer sentiment over time”.

The programme engaged with more than 10,000 gambling consumers in 2024, while previous studies have examined financial risk checks, bonus incentives, and gambling during the cost-of-living crisis.

Greater agility and reach

Undergoing restructuring, the Commission noted that Consumer Voice will be able to dive deeper into the views, motivations, and behaviours of gambling consumers.

This includes those from underrepresented or harder-to-reach groups, such as people who gamble on specific products, certain demographic groups, and those experiencing negative consequences of gambling, whether it be their own or someone else’s.

The four specialist research suppliers being included in the Consumer Voice programme under the new framework are Yonder Consulting, The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), Humankind Research and Savanta. Each will have a two-year contract that can be extended until 2029.

Commenting on the new framework, the UKGC’s Head of Research, Laura Carter, noted that the restructuring of Consumer Voice will give the Commission “greater agility and reach than ever before”.

“With these four partners, we’re better equipped to commission high-quality research quickly and use a range of approaches to respond to emerging trends or risks as they develop,” added Carter.

“The Consumer Voice programme is central to our efforts to ensure our decisions are grounded in the lived experiences of all consumers and the evolving realities of gambling.”

Specialist research suppliers

Yonder Consulting is a specialist organisation in mixed methodology research that has partnered with the UKGC’s Consumer Voice programme for the past three years, exploring the consumer experience elements such as industry trust, unlicensed market engagement, key sporting event behaviours and the impact of marketing and bonus offers.

BIT is an experimental and behavioural research expert team that combines human behaviour understanding and evidence-led problem solving to help improve people’s lives.

Eleanor Collerton, Senior Advisor at The Behaviour Insights Team, stated: “We’re excited to contribute our expertise in experimental research to generate new insights, address key evidence gaps, and help ensure consumer voices shape meaningful and effective gambling policy, building on more than five years of work to reduce gambling harms in GB.”

Humankind Research is composed of qualitative experts with a focus on complex issues and the lived experience of hard-to-reach audiences via sensitive and inclusive research approaches to understand their experiences and needs and to guide policy and priorities.

Savanta offers fast-turnaround, cost-effective research tools that are quantitative and qualitative.

“Savanta are delighted to be one of the suppliers chosen to support the Gambling Commission on its Consumer Voice programme,” commented Olly Wright, Head of Public at Savanta.

“Through our range of quantitative and qualitative quick-turnaround research tools, we can ensure the Commission stays on the pulse of consumer opinion and behaviours and help it in its efforts to put the voice of gambling consumers at the heart of its work.”

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GGL publishes casino FAQ to demystify interstate rules

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Germany’s gambling regulator, the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), has rolled out a new FAQ section designed to clarify what constitutes a legal online casino, amid growing confusion and a surge in unlicensed operators targeting the market.

The move is part of a wider effort by the GGL to inject transparency into the legal framework established by the 2021 State Treaty on Gambling (GlüStV 2021), and to provide both consumers and operators with clear-cut guidance on what is—and isn’t—permitted under German law.

Cutting Through the Confusion

At the heart of the matter is the term “online casino”, which the GGL argues is being routinely misused. While the average consumer may see it as a catch-all for any digital gambling site, the legal definition refers strictly to virtual versions of classic table games—roulette, blackjack and baccarat among them.

Such games may only be offered under state-specific licences and are not subject to federal authorisation. To date, just two states—Schleswig-Holstein and Bavaria—have issued a total of five licences for online casino operations.

In contrast, virtual slot games, though often branded under the same terminology, fall under a different regulatory regime. These are supervised directly by the GGL, which oversees licensing, technical compliance, and player protection measures. The regulator has made clear that any operator promoting virtual slots as “online casino” games is in breach of the law.

A Whitelist for Legitimacy

To help consumers navigate the legal landscape, the GGL has updated its official whitelist of licensed providers. Users can filter by game type, operating region and regulatory body to determine which platforms are legally authorised in Germany.

Only those listed are permitted to offer games under the strict rules laid out by GlüStV 2021, which include deposit limits, mandatory player protection mechanisms, and integration with national oversight systems like LUGAS and OASIS.

Tackling the Illegal Market Head-On

The FAQ also takes aim at the growing presence of unlicensed operators, many of whom manipulate search rankings and affiliate networks to appear legitimate. Terms like “Online Casino Germany” and “Real Money Casino” are commonly used by illegal outfits to lure users, despite being prohibited for licensed providers under current law.

The GGL confirmed it is working closely with search engines—most notably Google—to limit the visibility of these operators and has made progress in delisting non-compliant sites.

The regulator warned that illegal gambling poses serious risks: there is no guarantee of winnings, no data protection, and no accountability. Participants may also face criminal penalties under sections 284 and 285 of the German Criminal Code.

More Transparency

With its new FAQ section, the GGL is attempting to bring clarity to a sector clouded by marketing misdirection and legal complexity. As Germany continues to enforce its federated model of gambling oversight, the message is clear: if it’s not on the whitelist, it’s not legal.

More information is available at the GGL’s official portal, where the full FAQ and whitelist can be accessed.

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Canadian Gaming Business Magazine: Moving at full speed ahead

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Summer is close, and that means it’s time for SBC Media’s second issue of Canadian Gaming Business Magazine of 2025, with a focus on how the industry and its various stakeholders are not only keeping up with the pace of change but staying ahead of the curve.

As we were putting together this issue soon after Ontario’s regulated market celebrated its third anniversary, we’ve taken some time to reflect on where we are now. Our cover story is a chat with Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) VP Tracy Parker about why Canada has such a strong reputation for robust responsible gambling, how things have evolved since single-event sports betting came onto the scene and where we still need to go.

There’s also a dive into the fraudulent casino advertising trend that unfortunately seems to be sweeping across the internet and social media in Canada (and beyond), and we chat with Great Canadian Entertainment’s Chuck Keeling about how it harms both operators and consumers.

After the first Canadian general election since Ontario began regulating online gambling, sportsbooks tell us why offering political betting can be an important piece of their puzzle, and we also dive into how the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and fellow stakeholders tackle the tough topic of match-fixing.

We check in with leaders at the lotteries out east and west. Through his first year on the job, new Atlantic Lottery Corporation (ALC) CEO Dallas McCready discusses his hopes and aims for the crown corporation and for gaming out east, while British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) chat with us about providing a full service out to in-person customers out west.

Elsewhere, Betty Canada discuss their shift to a franchising model and we speak with Indigenous Gaming Partners (IGP) about First Nations casino opportunities in Alberta. Plus, we look at how esports has become a core offering for some operators. And, with a Canadian co-hosted FIFA World Cup on the horizon in summer 2026, what kind of opportunities could it bring for sportsbooks and their partners?

You can pick up a physical copy of Canadian Gaming Business Magazine at the 2025 Canadian Gaming Summit or read the digital version of the magazine below.

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Ontario gambling regulator calls out Bodog in note to media platforms

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The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) on Wednesday said it has urged media platforms to stop advertising unregulated online gambling sites in the province.

Specifically calling out offshore operator Bodog, the AGCO said it has called upon more than a dozen traditional and digital media platforms to “step up the fight” and stop promoting unregulated sites in Ontario by pulling down any existing ads and refusing to run any others in the future. The regulator added that, by advertising unregulated online casinos and sportsbooks, legitimate media offer those operators “a veneer of legitimacy.”

Bodog is operated by Caribbean-based Il Nido Inc. and is available to residents of numerous provinces. It has blocked access in Québec for years and went dark in Nova Scotia last September. However, the AGCO noted it is “actively targeting Ontarians by advertising on popular traditional and digital media platforms” despite not holding a licence to operate in the province.

“By refusing to carry advertising from unregulated and high-risk operators like Bodog, media organizations can exemplify social responsibility and play an important role in protecting Ontarians and supporting Ontario’s regulated market,” said AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr.

Advertising creates consumer confusion, says industry
The AGCO implied in its statement that by advertising unregulated operators like Bodog, media platforms such as websites and social media apps add to what it calls “confusion” among consumers.

That’s something we’ve heard in the past.

At the time Bodog shut down in Nova Scotia, then-Atlantic Lottery Corporation President and Patrick Daigle added to CGB that a lack of public awareness of the legalities “has lent an air of legitimacy to these operators and misleads the public.”

Last year, Canadian Gaming Association President and CEO Paul Burns and research experts from Ipsos discussed at the Canadian Gaming Summit that considerable “confusion” remains among consumers (even some regular gamblers) over the differences between regulated and unregulated gambling offerings and what exactly they are seeing in the adverts they are exposed to.

AGCO looks to ‘remove oxygen’ from unregulated market
Last month, Ipsos data shared by the regulated market’s now-independent conduct-and-manage agency iGaming Ontario (iGO) suggested that not only do 16.3% of Ontario gamblers play only on unregulated websites, but more than one-fifth (20.2%) of the 83.7% who said they gambled via licensed operators have also wagered on unlicensed and unregulated platforms.

The AGCO’s Chief Operating Officer, Dave Phillips, told attendees at the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL) spring conference in Vancouver in late April that while the AGCO works to “remove the oxygen” from the unregulated market, it suffers from “a real significant lack of authority” to take firm action.

Within its scope of powers, the AGCO continues to work with partners both in Ontario and internationally. It stated earlier this year that it is working on “a comprehensive strategy” to make it harder for the industry and the public to engage with the unregulated market “by delivering a second generation of high-impact, coordinated and relevant regulatory activities.”

“Building off of our early channelization success, we continue to work with industry stakeholders and other jurisdictions to combat the unregulated market while continuing to work towards crafting a comprehensive strategy with our government partners,” the AGCO’s Raymond Kahnert told CGB in January.

Canadian lotteries take Bodog to court
Meanwhile, the AGCO’s specific call-out of Bodog comes as a lawsuit filed against Bodog’s owner by several Canadian lotteries awaits a hearing.

Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries (MBLL) filed an injunction application in late January on behalf of the Canadian Lottery Coalition (CLC) to prevent Bodog from operating or advertising in Manitoba. The suit accuses Bodog of “false and misleading” advertising in which it purports to be a “trusted” online gaming operator across Canada.

The CLC’s membership is made up of crown corporations from Manitoba, the Atlantics, Québec, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Ontario is not represented within the group. CLC Executive Director Will Hill told CGB that the CLC and its members are “committed to the idea of addressing unlawful gambling through all available means on a pan-national basis.”

A court hearing in that case is scheduled for May 26.

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Alberta passes iGaming Alberta Act to legalize commercial online gambling

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Alberta is just a formality away from legalizing commercial online casino and sports betting.

Minister Dale Nally’s Bill 48 was passed by the provincial legislature’s Committee of the Whole and subsequently by the full Assembly at third reading on Wednesday evening. It leaves the United Conservative Party’s enabling legislation, titled the iGaming Alberta Act, just needing Royal Assent to be enacted.

The bill, which was passed on Wednesday without any amendments, will establish Canada’s second open, commercial, regulated online gambling market after Ontario opened its doors three years ago.

Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) will be the market regulator while still operating Play Alberta, currently the only regulated online gambling platform in the province. A new government agency, the Alberta iGaming Corporation, will conduct and manage the market and contract commercial online sportsbooks and online casinos.

Canadian Gaming Association President and CEO Paul Burns called the passage “a great milestone in the process.”

“The Canadian Gaming Association and its members extend their congratulations to Minister Dale Nally and the Government of Alberta for reaching this significant milestone and advancing towards the provision of regulated iGaming and enhanced consumer protections for its citizens,” added the CGA in a post.

Regulations will paint the picture
While legalization is clearly a vital step, there is a long way to go. Key details, including how many operators will be allowed in and what the tax rate and licensing fees will be, still need to be hashed out and an entire framework of regulations needs to be constructed.

“More details on key regulations and policies related to revenue, consumer protection and specific social responsibility policies will be shared later this year, following further engagement,” said Nally at third reading.

The bill has not faced much strong opposition in Alberta’s Assembly, but key concerns were repeatedly raised by the New Democratic Party (NDP) about the lack of specifics around responsible gambling and player protection in the bill text. A package of NDP amendments was voted down by the committee last week, and similar concerns were voiced at both committee stage and third reading on Wednesday before the bill was passed.

Nally has been unequivocal that responsible gambling should be a regulatory issue, not something written into the legislation. That way, he argued, changes can be made “on a dime” as required by the market rather than needing to go through a legislative process to come into force, offering more efficiency and flexibility.

One thing the bill does include is a centralized self-exclusion platform for gamblers across all commercial regulated sites, the type of which Ontario still does not have in place but is working to construct.

Online gambling is already happening
As was the case in Ontario before that province opened its market, advocates for Bill 48 pointed to the fact that a great deal of online gambling is already being done in Alberta, just without the revenue and player protection benefits of regulatory oversight.

AGLC said last year that it estimates that Play Alberta holds around 45% of the province’s online gambling market by revenue. Data provided to Canadian Gaming Business by H2 Gambling Capital put the share of online sports betting and online casino activity much lower, closer to 25%.

Legalizing and regulating online gambling is touted as an effective way to not only make online gambling safer for players and taxable for the government, but also to bolster consumer choice, drive innovation and create a greater economic benefit for the province via avenues such as direct and indirect job creation. In Ontario, the consensus is that those goals have largely been met.

When can business start?
As for when Alberta might be ready to open its doors, although Nally voiced optimism last fall that the market may be up and running in time fo the next NFL season this coming fall, the consensus today seems to be the first quarter of 2026.

Chief executives of numerous Ontario-licensed operators, including FanDuel, BetMGM, theScore Bet owner PENN Entertainment, BetRivers parent Rush Street Interactive and multi-brand operator Super Group have said this year that they are planning for Q1 2026 market entry.

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Player Protection Symposium will be part of SBC Summit Americas core agenda

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SBC Summit Americas is reinforcing its commitment to promoting safer gambling by integrating the previously standalone Player Protection Symposium into the event’s core conference agenda.

This strategic move ensures that all registered delegates will have access to discussions, insights, and best practices around player protection, cementing the topic as a central pillar of the 2025 summit.

The Player Protection Symposium will be held on May 14 in the Palm Room (Level 2) at the Broward County Convention Centre. Featuring a focused conference agenda and networking opportunities, the symposium will offer a dedicated space for operators, regulators, compliance experts and technology providers to share strategies for player protection.

“I think it’s clear to everyone that player safety is no longer a side conversation. It should be a central focus for every company operating in our industry,” said SBC CEO and Founder Rasmus Sojmark.

“That’s why we’ve integrated the Player Protection Symposium into the main SBC Summit Americas agenda, ensuring it is front and center and fully accessible to all attendees without the need for a separate ticket or early arrival. By embedding it into the core program, we’re opening up these crucial discussions to a much wider audience, creating greater opportunities for learning, collaboration, and progress.”

With SBC Summit Americas now bringing together North America and Latin America, the new dedicated track offers Latin American stakeholders a unique opportunity to access deeper conversations around player protection. Although SBC Summit Latinoamérica touched on the topic through individual panels, it never hosted a full track on the subject. This new format also paves the way for greater knowledge sharing between the two regions.

The Player Protection Symposium will feature seven panels in total, tackling a wide range of issues related to player safety. Sessions will cover topics such as analyzing affordability and risk checks, the role of technology in early harm detection, how operators can work with regulators and the overall development of safer gambling tools and strategies.

The symposium will open with a look at the North American market and the effect of financial risk checks on player behaviors. Financial Risk Checks: An Essential Tool for Player Safety or the Black Market’s New Best Friend? will feature Craig Cornforth (Senior Business Development Director, EPIC Global Solutions), Rebekah Jackson (Director of Gaming, GBG), Martin Lycka (SVP for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling, Entain) and Declan Raines (Senior Director – US Gaming, TransUnion) exploring how affordability checks shape player behavior and how the industry can meet compliance demands while reducing the risk of driving players toward unregulated markets.

The panel titled From Obligation to Opportunity: Driving Success Through Responsible Gambling will focus on both the LatAm and North American markets, discussing how proactive responsible gambling strategies can drive long-term commercial success across both regions. Featuring player protection experts Sarah Brennan (Senior Director, Compliance, BetMGM), Paul Buck (CEO, EPIC Global Solutions), Dr. Mary Donohue (CEO & Founder, The Digital Wellness Center), Charmaine Hogan (Head of Regulatory Affairs, Playtech), Martin Lycka (Regulation & Responsible Gambling Expert) and Dr. Jennifer Shatley (Executive Director, Responsible Online Gaming Association.

Safeguarding the Next Generation: Addressing Underage Gambling Risks will examine the need for companies to prevent underage gambling across Latin America. The panel features Samer Atassi (VP of Latin America, Jumio), Ezequiel Dominguez (Director de Loterias, Loteria de Buenos Aires (LOTBA), Dr. Agustin Li Gambi (Director General, IJAN), Ida Lopez (President, ALEA), Iliana Pineda (Chief Legal & Compliance Officer, Wplay), and Tatiana Vazquez (Socia – Directora, V&I Consultores Legales) as they explore technology-focused solutions to protect vulnerable youth and ensure responsible gaming practice across the region.

Away from the Player Protection Symposium, attendees will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of both the LATAM and North American markets through tracks such as the Payment Expert Summit, Leaders, Affiliates and Masterclasses on new and upcoming regulations.

Get Your Ticket to SBC Summit Americas

Group Pass 3+ (Full Event Pass): Available for groups of three or more, this pass grants full access to conference sessions, the expo floor, networking events, and evening parties—all for a discounted rate of $500 USD per person. (does not include access to SBC Awards Americas)

Expo+ Pass: Includes access to the expo floor and all conference sessions (does not include access to evening networking events).

Complimentary Operator & Affiliate Passes: Operators and affiliates can apply for free passes, subject to approval.

Apply for Your Complimentary Operator Pass

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Ontario’s licensed iGaming operators couldn’t file FINTRAC reports for an entire year

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Ontario’s licensed online casinos couldn’t use FINTRAC’s web portal to file any suspicious transaction reports between March 2024 and March 2025 following a hacking incident.

Business and technology publication The Logic reported that the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada’s portal, which is how Ontario operators submit their reports, was taken down by FINTRAC following a cyberattack in March 2024. The report notes that the portal is mainly used by small businesses; banks and most other large organizations use a secure data feed for filing reports, but iGaming Ontario (iGO) has allegedly not set up that avenue.

Hackers didn’t transfer sensitive data
Consequently, operators were left unable to report suspected money laundering or other suspected fraudulent activity, a state of play that extended for a year until iGO gave operators access again in March 2025 after FINTRAC completed an update of its tech systems and restored access.

FINTRAC stated that the attacker didn’t transfer any sensitive data, per The Logic.

iGO spokesperson Josh Elliott confirmed to the publication that the conduct-and-manage agency is building its own improved and automated system for filing such reports. Canadian Gaming Business reached out to iGO seeking more information, but has not received a response yet.

Authorized online gaming operators in Ontario must file suspicious transaction reports manually and upload them one at a time on a per-incident basis via the FINTRAC portal, although they do have the option to use their own in-house automation technology to speed up the process.

iGO has submitted 80K reports to FINTRAC
Some 49 licensed commercial operators are active in the Ontario market as of May 5 and the largest of them file thousands of reports every year. Elliott said that iGO has submitted more than 80,000 reports to FINTRAC on behalf of operators since April 2022, and the agency and its contracted operator partners are working on clearing the backlog that remains.

Ontario’s 49 operators, who run a combined 84 online gambling platforms, collectively handled almost $83 billion in player activity in the 2024-25 fiscal year alone. That year ran from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025; for almost the entirety of that period, they could not file suspicious activity reports via FINTRAC.

Canadian Gaming Association President and CEO Paul Burns told The Logic that the FINTRAC downtime has “been awful for everybody.”

Observers suggest Canadian gambling has a fraud problem
The CGA has made anti-money laundering a core issue of its advocacy. It noted in its 2024 Advocacy Policies that one of its goals for last year was to “actively participate” in the parliamentary review of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTF Act) to ensure Canada’s AML laws and regulations can keep up with the evolution of online gambling.

Last October, a report from TransUnion Canada found that online gambling is the most susceptible sector in the country when it comes to digital fraud attempts, and the rate of instances within Canadian-specific gambling soared 79.3% year-over-year.

TransUnion Canada Head of Identity Management and Fraud Solutions Patrick Boudreau urged businesses including gambling operators to make technology such as identity verification, IP intelligence, device reputation and synthetic identity detection “critical components” of their fraud prevention programs.

In January of this year, FINTRAC publicly warned that known fentanyl traffickers were believed to be using online gambling platforms to launder money from dealing and production, disguising the deposits and withdrawals as wagering winnings.

Under its “general money laundering indicators,” FINTRAC notes that a client making high-volume or frequent purchases from a personal account to online gambling platforms and subsequently receiving funds into the same account from payment processors associated with online gambling platforms is “an unusual pattern” that warrants close attention.

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