Gambling Weekly News Summary in Canada – 2025/01/24
iGaming Ontario Experience Year-on-Year Increase in Q3 results
iGaming Ontario released its third-quarter results, consisting of gaming activities from 50 operators running on 83 sites, revealing new records for its revenue and wagers results.
The Canadian company reached over CA$22.7 billion in total wagers, a 32% year-on-year increase and a 25% month on-month increase. Out of total wagers, CA$18.9 billion was generated in casino games, including slots, retail and online table games, and bingo. Likewise, sports wagers, including retail and online sportsbooks, novelty bets, and proposition bets, generated CA$3.4 billion in total bets.
Gaming revenue also grew during iGaming Ontario’s third quarter, reaching over CA$825.8 million. This was a 25% year-on-year rise and a 10% month-on-month increase. Casino games contributed CA$644 million to the total revenue, with sportsbooks contributing CA$166 in gaming revenue.
“This figure represents total cash wagers, including rake fees, tournament fees, and other fees, across all operators, minus player winnings derived from cash wagers and does not take into account operating costs or other liabilities,” iGaming Ontario noted in its report.
NFL Partners with the Responsible Gambling Council to Provide Training Program for Canadian Athletes
The Responsible Gaming Council (RGC) has collaborated with the National Football League to set up a training program for Canadian University and College student-athletes. The training program aims to educate the Athletes about the harm of gambling and ensure that they can make informed decisions regarding it.
The program highlights various gambling behaviours that students need to be aware of, including susceptibility to gambling, the signs of gambling-related harm and its impact, and knowing what resources are available to those experiencing gambling addictions.
The RGC will ensure that trainers have the correct resources to deliver the training program to their students and will cover eight university and college campuses across Canada.
Responsible Gambling Council Chief Executive Officer Sarah McCarthy said, “Student-athletes face unique pressures from academics, athletics, and the accessibility of sports betting, making them vulnerable to risky gambling behaviours. Our partnership with the NFL is a crucial step in supporting this group by providing the education and tools needed to make informed decisions.”
Canadian Intelligence Agency Warns over Fentanyl Links to Online Gambling
Through a report made by the Financial Transactions and Report Analysis Centre of Canada, warnings have been issued over a suspected fentanyl laundering scheme where fentanyl traffickers appear to have been depositing and withdrawing funds from online gambling sites to disguise fentanyl-related profits.
Fintrac examined nearly 5000 suspicious transactions related to fentanyl and synthetic opioids between 2020 and 2023. In this sample, it appeared that most of the transactions contained the suspected distribution of these drugs.
The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre said in the released alert, “These groups are importing or diverting essential precursor chemicals and lab equipment from China and other Asian countries for the production of illegal synthetic opioids. These threat actors are also using darknet marketplaces and virtual currencies to distribute and facilitate payments for fentanyl and other illegal synthetic opioids on an international scale, among other traditional methods.”
Ziv (Steve) Chen
CEO at Major League Content
Ziv has been working in the iGaming industry for more than two decades, serving in senior roles in software developers like Playtech and Microgaming. He then followed his lifelong passion of writing and became a fulltime journalist, covering casinos, sports betting, legislation and other gambling topics and news with a specialty in North America.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziv-steve-chen-94b01b5/
