Canada
Interview with Declan Raines from TransUnion
First of all, could you give us a ‘status report’ about the current online gambling environment? How concerned should players be about fraud? Is it a widespread threat?
Online gambling has experienced enormous growth thanks to digital platform improvements, stay-at-home orders, and loosening regulations. The United States in particular reached record highs with more Americans gambling in 2021 than ever before. Mobile sports betting was one of the main drivers as many states turned to online gaming to capture tax revenue and bolster budgets. New York is a clear example; mobile betting went live at the beginning of the year and immediately set records with more than $1.6B wagered by residents in January. Large states like California, Massachusetts and Florida are considering similar legislation and it’s a matter of time before they join the mobile betting market too.
All this growth, attention, and revenue has been great for the industry, but naturally it’s also attracted the attention of criminals. The challenge with measuring fraud is that you have to catch it to count it, but even with that limitation, TransUnion’s 2022 Global Digital Fraud Trends Report saw a 19.2% increase in suspected digital fraud targeting the gambling industry.
We expect attention from fraudsters to keep pace with the growth of online gambling, and it should be a major concern for both players and gaming companies. That’s supported by what we’ve seen in Europe, where online gambling has been legal for some time now and fraud has been a continuous issue. The silver lining is that the U.S. can benefit from Europe’s example and adopt the most effective compliance, risk, and regulation best practices for consumers and the industry.
What are the reasons behind the rising number of fraud crimes committed?
Fraud will always follow large amounts of money, but much of the recent uptick in fraud can be attributed to bonus abuse. The competition from operators for all these new mobile customers is fierce. To stand out, companies are offering thousands of dollars in deposit bonuses when players sign up. These lucrative bonus offers, and incentives have become table stakes in attracting players to online operators.
In the rush to acquire new players operators have opened themselves up to fraud. They are susceptible to things like arbitrage betting where players make opposite sides of the same bet on different platforms but capture the deposit bonuses from each company. There are also bad actors using synthetic identities to create multiple fake accounts to try and clean funds or capture bonuses.
Bonus abuse will continue to be widespread when there’s such an emphasis on offering enormous bonuses to try and draw new players onto platforms. Ultimately bonus abuse in the US is somewhat of a commercial decision for operators as they strive to balance player acquisition with bonus abuse. Even in Europe, where there are more mature markets and smaller deposit bonuses, this type of fraud continues. It’s up to operators to take steps to protect themselves and customers.
Using/visiting multiple gaming sites: how do consumers differentiate between regulated/unregulated sites?
Our team at TransUnion exclusively supports the regulated gambling industry, but it’s worth acknowledging that there is an enormous unregulated market available to players – due in no small part to US prohibitions against gambling. An estimated $1.7 trillion was illegally wagered on sports in 2021 versus $40 billion wagered through legal channels, according to a report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Given all the options available, it can be difficult to differentiate between a regulated provider of mobile sports betting like DraftKings or FanDuel versus an unregulated operator.
There are ways that savvy players can verify that information. Most platforms and websites will explicitly state the jurisdictions that they are regulated in. Players can also go to the websites of their respective state gaming regulator to see who has been licensed to operate. These are important steps for consumers to take to protect themselves from both bad actors and legal liability.
What type of information is at risk? How can they be used against players?
The primary concern of players should be account takeover fraud. Fraudsters are actively looking to gain access to account credentials and are using increasingly complex techniques to accomplish that. Everything from phishing scams to SIM swapping to capture one-time passcodes have been used to gain access to funds in betting accounts. Once they gain access, fraudsters will directly withdraw the funds to one of their own accounts or sell that information on the dark web to other bad actors who will do the same.
Players can protect themselves with robust info security practices. When it comes to online gambling, using a password manager is still effective, but other techniques like VPNs aren’t available to consumers since regulation requires geolocation. Ultimately, good cyber hygiene and being vigilant in monitoring your account will be enough to repel most fraud attempts.
What can game providers do against these attacks? Is it possible to protect players without impairing player experience?
There’s a lot that online operators can do to vet and identify potential fraudsters – there are near-countless customer authentication methods available – but the industry as a whole has largely prioritized the player experience due to the risk of player abandonment. Player abandonment is estimated to be near 70% in the online gambling space right now and it’s easy to imagine why. Most people sign up for a mobile betting account with a specific bet in mind, something that’s especially true for sports wagers. A prospective player sits down on the couch to watch the game, decides they would like to make a wager, but only has a limited amount of time before the game starts. If that person has authentication issues or is impeded in any way during the onboarding process, they’re very likely to abandon the attempt or find a more lenient operator.
I would surmise that operators in the US are more tolerant of having fewer authentication methods in place because player acquisition is the priority right now. That will inevitably change as the industry matures, so operators will have to find a balance between a smooth player experience and better fraud prevention practices.
How does TransUnion ensure safety? What makes the company stand out?
Many online operators believe they must choose between the player experience and fraud prevention – but our team at TransUnion knows that’s not the case. Our experiences in Europe show that you can offer a frictionless player journey and a robust prevention strategy that does give you the best of both worlds.
The key to that is intelligence. Our approach measures confidence levels across three different data categories for each player: who they are, where they are, and what devices they are using. You can quickly identify fraudulent activity from any misalignments in those data elements. For example, if an address doesn’t match with the geolocation or an identity doesn’t match to a device, our team can flag for operators that this account needs an extra layer of scrutiny or friction before allowing access.
This is possible through the industry consortiums we support and work with to share information on potential fraudsters. If a device is associated with healthcare, credit card, or synthetic identity fraud, our gambling operator partners know and can act accordingly if the same information or devices are used on their platforms.
Our teams cast the widest net possible to ensure that online operators don’t have to ask for additional information and can avoid increasing friction in the onboarding process and improve the chances of legitimate players going through the experience seamlessly.
My belief is that with a fully accurate summation of fraud in the gaming market in the US would dwarf the fraud that happens Europe. Operators haven’t been able to put procedures in place to adequately protect themselves during the race to bring on new players. This is temporary; operators will eventually incorporate more robust fraud prevention into the onboarding process as the emphasis on player acquisition is reduced with market maturity. But knowing when to do it, and understanding how to preserve your player journey and experiences, will allow operators to apply a “friction-right” approach where they can have the best of both worlds.
Scientific Games, in partnership with Loto-Québec, Sustana Papers and Recyc-Québec, won the 2024 Gutenberg Award for sustainability at the 42nd Gala Gutenberg. The Gutenberg Awards are the Québec printing industry’s premier event, highlighting the talent, creativity and expertise of printing artisans.
The partnership’s winning entry was the Le Billet Vert (The Green Ticket) lottery instant scratch game launched by Loto-Québec in April 2024. The game was printed on 100% recycled board provided by Sustana Papers, with 100% water-based inks. Scientific Games enhanced the sustainability of the production process by packing completed games in boxes containing 60% recycled fiber and delivering them on reused European Pallet Association pallets.
The game promotes the recycling of lottery tickets, inviting players to download Recyc-Québec’s Ça va où? (Where Does It Go?) mobile app. The app teaches users to correctly sort recyclables and shows them drop-off locations for various types of household waste.
Isabelle Jean, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Lottery Games for Loto-Québec, said, “Since our first scratch game printed on 100% recycled paper stock debuted in 2021, our sustainability efforts have only increased. Congratulations to our team members from Loto-Québec, Scientific Games, Sustana Papers and Recyc-Québec for their vision. Together, we are reducing the environmental footprint of our games.”
The sustainable materials and game production techniques used for Le Billet Vert saved 110 mature trees, the equivalent of 326 10-minute showers, and the electrical power of 882,587 60-watt lightbulbs in one hour (Sustana Solutions eco calculator).
Marc-Andre Doyon, Vice President Canada for Scientific Games, said, “Through this collaboration, Scientific Games and our partners lead the global lottery industry in instant game sustainability. It’s truly an honor to win the Gutenberg Award for our efforts.”
Le Billet Vert is the thirteenth 100% recyclable game created for Loto-Québec since 2021 when Scientific Games and the Lottery began collaborating on a project to bring sustainable instant games to the lottery industry. Another game from this collection, Folie des plantes (Plant Madness), won the Gutenberg Award for sustainability in 2022. Other 100% recyclable Loto-Québec games produced by Scientific Games include Evasion (Escape), Code secret (Secret Code), SLINGO 10X and C’est quoi ton signe? (What’s Your Sign?).
Scientific Games is Loto-Québec’s primary instant game partner, producing the Lottery’s first instant game more than 50 years ago. The company has employed generations of Québécois professionals from their Montréal production facility, which produces instant games for Canadian and European lotteries.
With products that generate more than 70% of global instant game retail sales, Scientific Games is the world’s largest instant games creator, producer and services provider, and the primary provider to nine of the Top 10 performing instant game lotteries in the world (La Fleur’s 2024 World Lottery Almanac).
Casino Time, a full-service online casino for Ontario residents, proudly announces the highly anticipated launch of its iGaming website, CasinoTime.ca. Affiliated with 10 Charitable Gaming entertainment venues across the province, Casino Time extends its legacy fundraising model and beloved social gaming experience to the digital realm.
At the time of launch, Casino Time features a premium selection of games in each of its core product verticals including Slots, Live Dealer Casino Games, and Bingo. Adding to its diverse portfolio, Casino Time is also set to introduce a Sportsbook in late 2024. With a robust suite of features including interactive chat, local customer service, 24/7 accessibility, loyalty rewards, and rapid payment solutions, the online platform provides a powerful casino experience that is community-oriented.
Casino Time is committed to meeting the expectations of players who value the superior gaming experience associated with its charitable gaming affiliates. The iGaming website harnesses industry-leading technology from Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) to deliver an intuitive user experience and offers progressive jackpots and full-service game offerings from Pragmatic Play, Evolution, IGT, and Blueprint Gaming, including mega hits like Lightning Roulette, Gonzo’s Quest, and Cleopatra.
Pragmatic Play will also be the driving force behind Casino Time’s Bingo offering, handpicked by the operator for its best-in-class user experience, comprehensive promotional suite, live chat functionality, and exclusive play-on-demand feature. Casino Time is the first Canadian iGaming operator to offer regulated access to the globally renowned bingo product, Bingo Blast, cherished by players everywhere.
“We have been leading the revival of community gaming in Ontario for 20 years with cutting-edge gambling entertainment at the local level. Now through an exclusive partnership with iGO, we’re bringing our offerings online across Ontario, providing more access to the social gaming revolution that has won us a legion of fans,” says D’Arcy Stuart, CEO of Casino Time.
Rooted in legacy, Casino Time’s team is dedicated to delivering an unparalleled online and offline gaming experience with over 50 years of serving the gambling community in Ontario. Committed to VIP loyalty, high-touch customer care, responsible gaming practices, and safety and security, Casino Time provides community and peace of mind to its players.
“In our physical locations, our gambling product is, of course, second to none, but the special sauce is the social experience, which we’re replicating with the iGaming platform,” adds George Prue, General Manager of Jackpot Time Sarnia. “We know our customers personally and we love being part of their recreation and banter. Plus, proceeds get invested straight back into the community. That’s a gambling model we can proudly stand behind.”
Casino Time is not merely an online entity; it is an extension of the vibrant Ontario gambling community. Casino Time’s iGaming website goes beyond the ordinary, fostering a community-oriented gaming experience that is both social and inclusive.
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO)
Soft2Bet strengthens integrity monitoring with IBIA membership in Ontario
Soft2Bet, a leading casino and sportsbook platform provider, has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and activated its membership in Ontario, Canada, following its licensing in the Canadian province.
Soft2bet obtained its Certificate of Registration from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at the end of March, where the company’s Ontario-focused brand Tooniebet.com will now feed into IBIA’s world-leading sports betting integrity monitoring platform before worldwide implementation in the coming months.
IBIA includes over 50 of the world’s leading sports betting and gaming companies, who operate over 125 sports betting brands. Soft2Bet’s decision to join the association further strengthens its own internal betting integrity protocols and IBIA’s position as the world’s leading sports betting integrity monitoring body.
David Yatom Hay, General Counsel at Soft2Bet, commented: “Soft2Bet is delighted to be joining the IBIA as we strengthen our own betting integrity monitoring processes and play our part in furthering the IBIA’s long-standing work on this key issue. Ontario is a world class iGaming jurisdiction; it will be the first market where we will implement our IBIA membership and we look forward to deploying the monitoring infrastructure worldwide in all the other markets in which we operate.”
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “Soft2Bet is a very welcome addition to IBIA, further strengthening our position in the Ontario market. The operator’s decision to join IBIA demonstrates its desire to utilise the best integrity protection available for its sportsbook product. The association is delighted to be able to integrate Tooniebet within our integrity monitoring system and looks forward to working closely with Soft2Bet to maintain the high integrity of its sportsbook.”
IBIA is a not-for-profit body that has no competing conflicts with the delivery of commercial services to other sectors and is run by operators and for operators to protect regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets.
Through the IBIA monitoring network it is possible to track transactional activities linked to individual customer accounts. IBIA members generate more than $300bn in annual betting turnover (handle), accounting for approximately 50% of the global commercial regulated land-based and online sports betting sector, and in excess of 50% for online alone.
IBIA recently released a report on the Availability of Sports Betting Products which highlighted Ontario as a leading regulated gambling jurisdiction, with an expected onshore channelisation for sports betting of 92% in 2024 forecast to rise to 97% in2028. IBIA currently represents over 60% of the private sports betting operators licensed in the province. All online sportsbetting operators licensed in Ontario are required to be part of a betting integrity monitoring body.
IBIA’s Q1 2024 report detailed 56 alerts during the quarter. IBIA alerts contributed to the investigations and subsequent successful sanctioning of 21 clubs, players and officials in 2023, an increase on the 15 sanctioned in 2022.
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