Fake igaming ads show up again on Meta platform
Phony posts, including one with Connor McDavid, and others targeting regulated operators in Ontario are showing up on Instagram. What's new in Alberta, and the World Cup is coming soon.
The phony online gaming advertisements are back in full force on Instagram.
That has been our experience during our first-thing-in-the-morning and evening scrolling of the Meta platform over the past two weeks. Among the scam ads:
We wrote about the issue in three separate editions of the newsletter last year. Reporting last November by Reuters included information seen in Meta documents that showed projections of 10% of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned products. A recent study by two Dutch trade bodies revealed more than 15,000 ads for unlicensed gambling brands on Instagram and Facebook in the Netherlands for March.
We don’t know if these ads show up on the Instagram feeds of people outside Ontario. It’s the first time we’ve seen ads that target licensed operators in the province. And, there’s not a chance in H-E double hockey sticks that Connor McDavid’s agent Judd Moldaver gave permission for the Edmonton Oilers superstar to be featured in one of the above phony ads.
Gaming News Canada confirmed yesterday with OLG that one of the aforementioned ads is fake. OLG spokesperson Tony Bitonti told us the Corporation has worked in the past with Meta in identifying phony ads and having the company remove them. Bitonti added there have also been fake social media posts about major lottery winners.
Last year, Meta responded to concerns from The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario that changes were coming to ban these ads. The results of a recent Ipsos study commissioned by the AGCO appeared to indicate that gamblers in Ontario were overwhelmingly choosing licensed apps and websites. What we’ve seen recently on Instagram indicates there’s more work to be done, and it seems elected officials fixated on sports betting advertisements from regulated operators on Canadian television, radio and digital media sites might want to place their focus on companies involved in scams such as the ones we’ve highlighted.
We also contact the AGLC and a spokesperson there reminded us of the Spot the Fraud campaign that was launched in 2024 to increase awareness of fraudent apps and websites impersonating casinos and horse racing venues (in Ontario, Woodbine has often been a target of scam ads).
Gaming News Canada emailed Meta’s communications department on Monday and hasn’t received a response.
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The latest happenings for Alberta market launch
To keep the ball rolling on the countdown to raising the curtain July 13 on Alberta’s regulated gambling market. . . .
A perusing of the AGLC website yesterday included some updates around registration. As of last weekend, 35 sports betting and/or igaming companies have registered as operators-in-waiting, along with 39 gaming systems providers and 11 platform providers (including the presenting sponsor of this destination of news, notes and quotes).
Gaming News Canada has also learned that the Alberta iGaming Corporation last Friday distributed its Phase 2 onboarding package to operators. That package, the AiGC told us, focuses on technical and functional execution related to finance, anti-money laundering, IT and privacy. Teams from both the corporation and the igaming operators will collaborate to complete the required testing.
When that phase is completed, both the AiGC and operators will begin the process of getting operating agreements signed.
Also from western Canada:
Salim Valji of CBC.ca interviewed AiGC boss Dan Keene and others for an update on the countdown to market launch, including the regulators’ strategy around responsible gambling.
Delta Gaming is taking its Delta Bingo brand to the west.
Courtesy of Covers guy Geoff Zochodne, c’est la meme chose avec DAZN Bet.
Play’n GO has been granted a licence to thrill in Alberta.
World Cup edition, sports betting style
In one of our many previous professional lives, your humble correspondent had the very, very, very good fortune of being an accredited journalist at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, the 2012 London Summer Games and the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The weeks and days before the start of the competition came with some calamitous happenings. A spate of mishaps before the 2014 Games sparked a torrent of #sochiproblems posts on the Twitterverse.
As was the case in Sochi, Vancouver and London, however, once the athletes took to the stage, the focus was on the competition and the medals. We’ve witnessed a similar story in the lead-up to the men’s World Cup of Soccer, which comes to our home and native land for the first time ever.
Ten days before Canada takes to the pitch against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Toronto Stadium, most of the attention has centred on outrageous ticket prices, a soft market for said tickets, and the usual bit of brazen buffoonery by FIFA – highlighted by presenting the U.S. president with a new world peace prize and the organization’s ridiculous request for its head honcho Gianni Infantino to receive a motorcade escort when he’s in Vancouver.
Despite the disappointment of Canadian fans that Alphonso Davies won’t be ready for action in the home country team’s opener a week from Friday, we’re confident that all eyes and ears will be on the pitches across our home and native land, the U.S. and Mexico once the tourney begins.
For now, however, we’ve aggregated some World Cup coverage, betting style:
Responsible Gambling Council head honcho Sarah McCarthy has some words of wisdom for World Cup bettors.
Thanks to Friend of GNC Chris Grove for flagging a special report from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming on this summer’s really beeg sporting event.
Gambling regulators in the Netherlands have unveiled a public awareness campaign aimed at young adults ahead of the World Cup.
Matthew Waters reported for Legal Sports Report that U.S. sportsbooks see the tournament as a tool for customer acquisition rather than an opportunity to boost revenue.
Also in the U.S., FanDuel’s media company will produce its own version of Coaches Corner, including former Toronto FC field boss Bob Bradley.
The tourney will be a trial run for TRUEiGTECH’s new sports prediction market software platform.
Alberta’s move to a regulated iGaming model on the 13th July of this year represents a significant step forward for Canada’s digital gaming market, setting clear expectations for robust identity verification, fraud prevention and compliance from day one.
As the market takes shape, you can be confident you’re working with a proven partner. We already support more than 65% of licensed operators in Ontario, helping them meet FINTRAC‑compliant KYC requirements at scale, without compromising speed or player experience.
For more on GBG Plc, visit our website.
April was Ontario’s third-best month ever for online gambling revenue
April proved to be another terrific month for Ontario online gambling revenue, looking at numbers released by iGaming Ontario. Total gross revenue of $405.4 million was the third-highest total ever for the province behind only December of 2025 ($425.4 million) and November of 2025 ($406.2 million). It was the fourth time total revenue has exceeded $400 million.
Total revenue was up 29 per cent, year over year, compared to April of 2025 ($313.3 million)
Again, the primary driver of April’s returns was the online casino portion of the market. The monthly total of $314.1 million, which was 77 per cent of the total monthly revenue, was the third-highest online casino revenue figure ever behind December of 2025 ($320.5 million) and March of 2026 ($318.5 million). April marked the fifth time Ontario online casinos have surpassed $300 million in a month, all coming in the last seven months. Online casino revenue was up 29 per cent over April of 2025’s total of $$242.8
Online sports betting revenue of $86 million in April was up 40 per cent over $61.6 million for March and was the fifth best month ever. April sports betting revenue was up 33 per cent over April of 2025 ($64.6 million).
Online poker had its best month ever with revenue of $6.9 million to surpass the record of $6.8 million in August of 2025
Since launch in April of 2022, the total online gambling revenue – not counting the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s (OLG) numbers – is now more than $11.74 billion. Online casinos accounted for 75 per cent of that ($8.83 billion), followed by online sports betting (23 per cent, $2.66 billion) and online poker (two per cent, $243.8 million). Total taxes in the 48 months since launch are approximately $2.35 billion (20 per cent of revenue).
June could be a huge month for sports betting
In terms of handle, June could be a huge month for sports betting in Canada thanks to a large number of premier events led by the FIFA World Cup.
Having the world’s biggest sporting event on North American soil — with a Canadian team in the mix — should drive betting.
June also features both the NHL and NBA Finals, the U.S. Open, the RBC Canadian Open, the second week of the French Open and the first week of Wimbledon.
The record for handle from Ontario online sportsbooks was the $1.25 billion wagered in November of 2025, which helped drive revenue to a record $102 million. Yes, NFL football was a large driver of that, but given the number of huge events in June, new records could be set.
Paul Burns on player protection and much more
On the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show, sponsored by Bede Gaming, Canadian Gaming Association president and CEO Paul Burns joined host Steve McAllister for a conversation about player protection and gaming policy.
The pair spoke about a reckoning in responsible gambling, Alberta’s road to regulation, remarks by Ontario’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming Stan Cho at the SBC Summit Canada, the results of an AGCO study into channelization, the need for elected officials to better understand the difference between regulated and unregulated markets, and much more.
You can listen to the show here or watch it here:
People on the Move
Bill Eaton is appointed Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors at Alberta iGaming Corporation.
Mohegan appoints Joe Lobe as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel and Kelly Sullivan as Senior VP & Chief People Officer.
Douglas Brown is the new Chief Executive Officer at Sportsbet.
Ping Chen is replacing Andy Tsui as President of DigiPlus Interactive Corp.
After more than a dozen years, Kelley-Jaye Rosberg is saying goodbye to New Hampshire Lottery and her role as Chief Product & Program Officer.
Mads Haugegaard Albrechtsen resigns as Chief Financial Officer of Gentoo Media.
Paola Bausano is appointed Chief Product Officer at Flutter Southern Europe & Africa, replacing Rosangela Robbiani who moves into the Chief Public Affairs Officer post. Chris Wright has a new role at Flutter UK & Ireland as Casino Content Executive.
Sheila Bangalore joins the Entain Board of Directors as an independent non-Executive Director.
Boyd Gaming promotes Cassie Stratford to Senior Vice President and Legal Counsel.
Paysafe promotes Tomas Macagno to Vice President of Sales. Former Cashflows partnerships lead Vicki Burns is named Director, Embedded Platform Solutions.
Judith Glynn, the mother of OLG safer gambling VP Aaron GlynWilliams, is appointed Head of the Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming at the University of Gibraltar.
Claire Overstall departs from her VP role at DAZN to become Chief Customer Officer at Harmsworth Media.
Matt Evison leaves GBG Plc and his Head of Partnerships role.
Stephen Mangion, ex of Kaizen Gaming and Rootz, is named Director of Product – Gaming at LeoVegas Group.
Ex-Caesars Entertainment veep Michelle Hsu joins PENN Entertainment as Vice President of Marketing.
Andrew Winchell leaves Betr as Head of Government Affairs.
Former Greentube GmgHer Sabrina Eigner joins Skillz as Head of Player Experience and Customer Support.
Behind the Gloves founder/boss Lee McFarland is joining White Hat Gaming as VP of Delivery.
John DeHart, formerly of Twitch and PlayVS, is the new Head of Sponsorship at BLAST.
Daniel Ibing leaves German operator Lottohelden as VP, Gaming and Sports Betting.
Gaming Compliance International names Stephen Aupy as Director of International Business Development.
Shauna Martin departs MGM Resorts International and is named Vice President of Casino Marketing for The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
Light & Wonder names Pamela Wagner as VP, Game Design. Kate Bursac, ex of IGT, is appointed Global Events Manager.
Interblock Gaming appoints Alma Meglic as Vice President of Legal.
Kyle Vinansky, former Chief Business and Strategy Officer at Forbes, is the new Chief Revenue Officer at Front Office Sports. Ellyn Briggs comes on board as Culture and Lifestyle Reporter.
Former Casumo and Rank Interactive CFO Janice Duncan is the new Group Finance Director at evoke.
Stellar Gaming appoints Daniel Azevedo as Head of Product.
Daniel Madmon bids farewell to PointsBet to join Hard Rock Digital as Director of Marketing.
Former Low6 Managing Director Max Wright joins Hawk-Eye Innovations as Managing Director, Football.
Stacey Wright bids adieu to Paramount Commerce to become Leader, Product Marketing, Fraud & Verification at Interac Corp.
Marko Lasic is leaving Sportradar and his role as Senior Sales Executive, Odds and Live Data.
Guilherme Graziani is moving on from Oddsgate and his position as Head of Business Development – Latin America.
After almost a decade, Matej Novota is leaving Casino Guru and his Head of Casino Research role.
PlayStar promotes Michael Goldman to Director of Casino Operations.
Gaming Innovation Group promotes Emilio Cobacho Pascual to Commercial Director.
Loto-Quebec brings on board Emanuelee Imbleau as an Organizational Development Advisor.
Former Soft2Bet guy Martin Collins is named a Senior Advisor at Betski.
Raj Thakkar is appointed Senior Director – Sports, Gaming & Esports at Dentsu India.
Amy Robertson joins DraftKings as a Senior Knowledge Management Analyst.
Ashton Gravelle says goodbye to FanDuel and her role as Senior Designer, Corporate Communications.
Former SYNOT Head of Marketing Michaela Munsterova joins NATALIS as Marketing & Creative Consultant.
After almost 13 years, the last five-plus as Senior Betting Analyst, Andrew Caley is leaving Covers.
Lindsay Knorr has a new title at the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority – iGaming Growth and Product Manager.
Devyn Le Donne bids adieu to her Manager, Sponsorships – Tim Hortons role with Restaurant Brands International and joins BetMGM as a Marketing Manager.
Sean Cunningham comes on board Bet99 as a Risk Manager. Matthew Campbell is promoted to VIP Potential Account Management Lead.
Hristiana Karaivanova, ex of Enjoy Gaming and Las Vegas Sands, is named Public Relations Manager at Continent 8 Technologies.
Johan Groen is leaving his Business Pro Analyst position at IGT.
Justin Borges says goodbye to DraftKings and joins Aristocrat Interactive as a Marketing QA Specialist.
Matt Hockenjos departs SBC to become Account Manager – North America at Inspired Gaming Group.
Christina Savvouri is departing Gaming Laboratories International and her role as Business Development Manager, EMEIA Region.
Nicholas Imperillo and his Senior Risk and Fraud Consultant role were among the jobs affected by recent layoffs at GeoComply.
Bri Boothe is promoted to Associate Manager, Customer Marketing at Aristocrat.
Nick Pappas, ex of Gambling.com Group and Cryptonews, joins Growth Leads as a Content Writer.
Akiel Amod has a new title at Games Global: Senior Business Analyst.
Ceren Erpik is now a Product Owner at GBG Plc.
Jack Horrocks leaves Relax Gaming and his role as Senior Content Manager.
Massimo Verbanac says au revoir to Play’n GO to become a Business Development Manager at Enteractive.
Wiktoria Banasiak is promoted to Key Account Manager at Swintt.
Digitain promotes Arsen Andriasyan to Product Manager.
Some POTM activity at NHL HQ. Sean Eggert is appointed Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer; Julie Yefe as Executive VP and Managing Director of International. Heidi Browning has a new title as Senior Executive VP, Chief Digital Officer and David Proper is now Chief Media Officer. Long-time NHL exec Brian Jennings is now Senior Executive VP, Chief Partnerships & Club Strategy Officer.
Therese Brisson leaves her CEO gig with Alpine Canada to join Skate Canada in the same capacity, beginning July 27.
Zach Feldman, ex of MLSE, the Premier Lacrosse League and most recently Senior VP, Partnerships & Revenue for Oak View Group, is the new Senior Vice President, Corporate Partnerships for the New York Mets.
The Edmonton Oilers promote Michael Parkatti to Vice President, Hockey Analytics & Technology.
Former Warner Music Group senior veep Sumit Varshney is named Senior VP, Corporate Strategy and Strategic Investments at NFL HQ.
Anthony Flaccavento is the new Chief Revenue Officer at Yieldmo.
Todd Fischer, ex of GMR Marketing, is Optimum Sports’ new Chief Strategy and Property Officer.
Paul Taylor, formerly of West Ham United, the ATP Tour and WTA, is the International Tennis Federation’s new Executive Director, Brand, Content & Creative.
The TEAM senior veep Alyson Walker joins the Board of Directors at the Golf Canada Foundation.
Megan Rasmussen, ex of WPP Media, is named Vice President of Business Development at INNOCEAN Canada. Kendra Plantt is appointed VP, Head of Integrated Production.
Elevate names Lily Herring as Senior Communications Manager.
Chris Rodricks leaves the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to join Oak View Group as Manager, Partnership Development.
Walmart names Brock Manheim as Director, Head of Sports Marketing & Fandoms.
Classified (Jobs) Information
On the Home Front
Bet99 is on the hunt for a Senior Compliance Associate, an Influencer Marketing Specialist, an Enhanced Due Diligence Associate and a bilingual Marketing Coordinator.
Alberta agency Pomp & Circumstance PR has a freelance opportunity for a Social Media Creator – Sports/Gaming.
Vancouver-based PokerLab is looking for a Senior DevOps Engineer/Site Reliability Engineer.
Toronto-based Otter Odds is seeking a Social Media Marketing Manager.
Ipsos has a hybrid opportunity for a Senior Market Research Manager, Public Affairs.
Sport Safeguarding BC is hiring a Chief Executive Officer.
The Canadian Paralympic Committee is searching for a Director, Marketing & Communications.
Rowing Canada is seeking a Director of Operations.
Your Toronto Blue Jays are looking for a Senior Manager, Concerts & Events.
Red Bull is adding to its Toronto operation a Senior Manager, Athlete Marketing.
The Northern Super League is on the lookout for a Marketing Manager.
Toronto-based Blue Ant Media has a one-year contract available for a Senior Strategist, YouTube.
TD is in hiring mode for a Senior Corporate Communications Manager.
Brock University has an opportunity for an Executive Director, Marketing & Communications.
The New Balance team in Mississauga is looking for a Running Community and Events Manager.
The University of British Columbia has need of a Sport Information and Game Day Operations Coordinator.
South of the Border
Peninsula Pacific Entertainment in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is hiring a Vice President of Marketing.
Incline Gaming Marketing has a six-pack of employment opportunities.
In D.C., Aristocrat is seeking a Senior Manager of Government Relations.
LA-based Capcom is looking for a Manager, Business Development – Esports and Partnerships.
BetMGM has a hybrid position in New Jersey for a Regulatory Incident Reporting Analyst.
Also in LA, Riot Games is hiring an Influencer Manager – Unpublished R&D Product.
In Denver, Bet365 is looking for a CRM Lead, Gaming.
DraftKings has an opportunity in North Andover, Mass., for an Operations Manager, Jackpocket.
Hard Rock Digital has a remote posting for a Senior Director – U.S. Marketing Compliance in Hollywood, Fla., an Analyst – Regulatory Risk and a Coordinator – Sportsbook Promotions & CRM.
Pacific Tide Media is looking for two Sportswriters with access to markets with prediction apps.
The people’s wire service, American style, has a remote opening for an Editor, Newsletter Expansion.
The PGA Tour is seeking a Senior VP, Media Strategy.
The Athletic has a remote opening for a Head of Social & Off-Platform Growth.
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. is on the hunt for a Director, Global Partnership Sales.
The Kansas City Chiefs require a Director of Corporate Communications & Publicity.
The San Jose Sharks have a five-pack of employment opportunities.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are seeking a Data Engineer.
The NHL Utah Mammoth are in the market for a Full-Stack Software Engineer.
Fastenal has an opening in Winona, Minn., for a Marketing Strategist – Sports Marketing.
Stub Hub has a couple of opportunities with its Strategy and Analytics team.
Across the Ponds
GBG Plc is searching for a Senior Implementation Consultant – Professional Service.
Gamingtec has a remote opportunity for a Senior Content & Communications Manager.
LeoVegas Group has a position available in Leeds for a Safer Gambling Analyst and in Stockholm, a Compliance Manager – Nordics.
Betsson Group has need of a Product Owner – Data & AI.
White Hat Gaming is on the lookout for a Project Manager – Payments & Risk.
Kaizen Gaming has an opening in Bogota for a Customer Experience Analyst.
In Israel, DAZN is searching for a Senior Product Manager.
In Wigan, EPIC Global Solutions is seeking a Marketing Manager.
B2Spin is hiring a Commercial Analytics Manager.
Hero Gaming requires a CRM Manager.
Splash Sports has a trio of gigs up for grabs.
ARRISE has a quartet of job openings.
Reading and Reflecting
An FYI that Alberta iGaming Corporation’s website is up and running.
Dr. Andreas Ditsche, who spoke at last month’s SBC Summit Canada, took to the LinkedIn to compare the regulated gambling models in Ontario and Germany.
As Dave Briggs reported in last week’s dispatch from the remarks made by OLG head honcho Duncan Hannay at the SBC Summit Canada, the Corp. has a new program requiring deposit limits for online customers under the age of 25.
Included in an Angus Reid Institute poll, some 40% of Canadians oppose prediction markets.
According to the latest EILERS-FANTINI Canada Online Game Performance Report, Light & Wonder’s Huff N Even More Puff Grand leads the field.
Toronto-based OverActive Media has delivered some rather rosy financials for its first quarter.
Ahead of the World Cup of Soccer, the Financial Transactions and Reports Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) released a special bulletin on the risks of human trafficking around major international sporting events.
Genius Sports and the International Betting Integrity Association just completed its integrity training program for CFL players.
Swedish hockey legend Peter Forsberg joins BetMGM as an ambassador in Sweden.
There was more bad news at the beginning of the week for Cricket Canada, which has had its membership suspended by the International Cricket Council. Declan Hill had a piece on Substack on the ties between the ailing national sports body and match-fixing allegations.
Underdog isn’t backing down in a legal tussle with NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
An information security engineer at Google is facing charges of using inside info to collect $1 million from Polymarket.
These days, DraftKings co-founder Matt Kalish is worth a follow on the platform formerly known as Twitter. Also, Kalish told Ben Horney he loves prediction markets, just not the approach Kalshi is taking.
Where is FanDuel Poker going next in the U.S. of A., asks Anuj Arora on Pokerfuse.com.
NEXT.io journalist Zak Thomas-Akoo has the details on the Australian government’s plans to open up regulated online gaming Down Under.
The president of Caesars Digital told CDC Gaming scribe Buck Wargo prediction markets could prompt some U.S. states to legalize online gaming.
Jill Dorson did some keyboarding for InGame on the findings from a study of 482 U.S. college students who bet on sports online.
The U.S. National Gambling Helpline, wrote Kathryn Evans for iGaming Business, is seeing a hike in calls from younger people.
A(nother) poll shows legal sports betting is opposed by 47% of Americas.
Lawmakers in New York are looking to make some changes to the rules and regulations around sports betting.
Sports Betting Dime correspondent Robert Linnehan reminded readers that this week marks the beginning of legal sports betting operators in Massaschusetts being required to inform customers if their activity is being limited.
The rather excellent Pat Forde reported for SI.com on the betting activities of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby, including wagers on his own team. ESPN columnist Dan Wetzel has some thoughts on the Sorsby saga.
There was reporting from Earnings + More on Monday that Barry Diller’s People Inc. is preparing an offer to buy out MGM Resorts.
CNN’s Marshall Cohen and Elisabeth Buchwald did the double-byline thing on the impact of the sports offerings of prediction markets on younger Americans.
According to iGaming Today, half of the gambling market in Costa Rica is now of the illegal sort.
A U.S. senator from Hawaii wants to ban microbetting on sports events. And we’d like to get our handicap into single digits this summer, but that ain’t happening.
In The Closing Line newsletter, Dustin Gouker reported on a record month for online casino and poker south of the border.
Among the topics discussed at last month’s NEXT Valletta was the advertising and sponsorship rules in Italy’s regulated gambling industry.
There were more layoffs in the American sports media industry last week at Yahoo and Sports Illustrated, including veteran journalists Charles Robinson, Greg Bishop and Michael Rosenberg along with SI’s entire golf editorial team.
Finally, for the moms and dads among our loyal readers, some terrific reporting on NJ.com about the crazy cost of youth sports in the Garden State (although that is the case across many parts of North America these days).
Stay up to date with the news on the Canadian gaming industry by following us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Please send your news releases and other announcements to steve@gamingnewscanada.ca. Also, if you’re interested in learning about our sponsorship and advertising opportunities in the newsletter and on our podcast, please email Steve McAllister at the aforementioned address.
