FINTRAC faces flak for AML-related action against CNE Casino
The $199,000 fine imposed by Canada's federal money laundering watchdog has drawn the ire of gaming industry experts. Also, 'twas a banner King's Plate day for Woodbine Entertainment.
When Derek Ramm joined us on the Gaming News Canada Show back in June, the global head of advisory services for anti-money laundering (AML) compliance business Kinectify expressed the frustration he and others in Ontario’s regulated gambling industry were experiencing with efforts around AML laws in the true north strong and free.
Well, Ramm returned for Round 2 yesterday with a LinkedIn post reacting to reporting by Adrian Humphreys of the National Post that the CNE Casino has been fined $199,000 by the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) for violating federal AML and terrorism financing laws. CNE Casino, a not-for-profit venture that operates during the Canadian National Exhibition (on now through Sept. 1), is denying and appealing the violations and fines imposed by Canada’s federal money laundering watchdog.
According to FINTRAC in a court filing, the casino was found to have inadequate risk assessment procedures and failed to conduct a bi-annual effective review of its compliance program.
Ramm, whose resume of combating money laundering includes tenures with The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and the Government of Canada, raised a Spockian eyebrow and then some. From his LinkedIn post:
Unlike the slew of penalties we've seen levied against casinos in the United States and other jurisdictions over the past year, there is no indication that FINTRAC's findings in this case were associated to any alleged or actual criminal activity. There is no mention of a failure to identify and file Suspicious Transaction Reports or any other prescribed transactions. The violations, as outlined, do not point to systemic failures but relatively minor gaps in the casino's compliance program that could be easily remedied (and, according to the article, were, in fact, remedied).
At this point, one has to ask the question: has Canada lost the plot when it comes to fighting financial crime? A six-figure penalty with no link to illicit activity or willful non-compliance isn't just tone-deaf; it’s an indictment of a system that has become overly focused on check-the-box compliance vs. tangible outcomes ... something the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) explicitly cautions against, I might add.
And this:
As I recently warned during a podcast with Steve McAllister at Gaming News Canada and a panel at the Canadian Gaming Summit, casinos and gaming organizations should be paying attention to FINTRAC's shift towards an enforcement posture. The limited emphasis and lack of urgency on AML technology and resources by some provincial gaming agencies may also increase the risk of future enforcement actions.
Among the comments made in response to Ramm’s post was this one from Canadian Gaming Association senior advisor (and frequent GNCS guest) Amanda Brewer:
Canada will soon be (or is already) lagging behind other nations with its refusal to adopt a risk-based approach to AML. FATF should be spurring us on to adopt technologies and focus on outcomes. Instead, the industry gets a piecemeal approach and more shuffling around of paper.
Humphreys reached out in his reporting to FINTRAC communications advisor Lori Blair, who wouldn’t comment on the case because it is front of the Federal Court.
We’ll keep you posted on this story.
King’s Plate card at Woodbine posts third-best handle in history
(Michael Burns photo)
Total handle of more than $17 million wagered on Saturday’s King’s Plate card at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto was the third highest in the 166-year history of the event, which is Canada’s biggest horse race.
The all-time Plate card record of $18.1 million was set in 2023 and was helped by a large carryover in the Jackpot Hi-5 wager. This year, the Jackpot Hi-5 was absent a sizable carryover.
Woodbine officials reported they were pleased with this year’s results, which were a sharp improvement over last year when the race was postponed due to torrential downpours and moved to a Friday afternoon slot that proved less attractive to bettors.
Saturday saw perfect weather in Toronto and Woodbine was sold out for the card.
The King’s Plate itself – won by Ontario-bred Mansetti ridden by 20-year-old jockey Pietro Moran — took in over $4 million in bets.
“We were confident that Saturday would generate good numbers in large part due to a competitive King’s Plate and a deep card of racing,” said Woodbine CEO Michael Copeland in a release. “The action on the racetrack lived up to the billing and the atmosphere throughout the grandstand was electric.”
No word, yet, on how much was wagered on the card through the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) platforms. The OLG began taking bets on horse racing just last week, joining only bet365 and Woodbine’s own HPIbet as the only three platforms legally offering betting on horse racing in Canada.
A(nother) call for a brighter light on Ontario’s operators
From the Dept. of Beating Ye Olde Drum, yet again. . .
The latest earnings season has come and gone minus much insight into how operators in Ontario’s regulated gambling market are performing. There have been snippets of information: Rush Street Interactive reporting a 25-percent-hike in revenue over the past year, or as Dave Briggs wrote in this corner a couple of weeks ago, a statement upon request from an operator on its Ontario business.
The province may get a mention in a presentation on the latest earnings, or something like this:
Peter Jackson, the CEO of FanDuel and PokerStars proprietors Flutter Entertainment, referred to Turkey, India, Italy and the United Kingdom in a recent letter to shareholders, but nary a word on FanDuel Canada’s business in Ontari-ari-ari-o. Nothing from Entain about its business here with Sports Interaction and BetMGM in its 2025 Interim Results report, and only a reference to offering sports wagering and online gaming in Bally’s Interactive’s Q2 results. It’s the same story for DraftKings in its latest results.
NorthStar Gaming also operates in Ontario - and, to the chagrin of the members of the Canadian Lottery Coalition - didn’t break out numbers around Ontario when it released its latest results last week. As Tom Nightingale reported in Canadian Gaming Business, NorthStar CEO Michael Moskowitz told analysts on an earnings call that the company projects Alberta will have a total addressable market (TAM) of $1 billion once it launches its regulated marketplace.
“As we look at the next opportunity outside of the rest of Canada piece, the regulated Alberta market for us is the key attribute,” Moskowitz said during the call. “The healthier our business becomes in Ontario and the rest of Canada, the more fuel we have for launching and creating demand in the exciting market of Alberta.”
Back to Ontario. The shortfall in transparency around the Ontario market is magnified when we see monthly reports from U.S. states such as New Jersey and New York, which through the state’s gaming commission included this breakdown in its June results (thanks to Covers for the graphic).
As of today, iGaming Ontario provides aggregated data from the 50 licensed operators (not including OLG) including a breakdown of wagering for sports betting, igaming and peer-to-peer poker. Here’s hoping that changes when a new president/CEO joins the organization (and we were told by several sources this week that hire is imminent).
And that’s our TED Talk. . .
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Odditt co-founder and CEO Matt Bresler on this week’s Gaming News Canada Show
Matt Bresler, co-founder and chief executive officer of sports data and analytics company Odditt was the guest on the most recent episode of the Gaming New Canada Show hosted by Steve McAllister.
Bresler spoke about his journey from the international fossils industry into the world sports statistics and betting odds data to sportsbooks to its recent work on a direct-to-consumer app.
Bresler also gave us some insight on the company’s plans for Canada, and also weighed in on the increasing popularity of women’s sports.
Listen to the show here via your favourite podcasting app or watch it here:
People on the Move
Pierre Bouchut is appointed Chair of the Board of Directors at Entain.
George Connors leaves his senior VP role at Everi Holdings to become the Senior VP, FinTech Americas/EMEA Sales for IGT.
Sarena Lin is named Chief Transformation Officer of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
Former Strive Gaming senior executive Lee McFarland and ex-OpenBet senior exec Huw Owen Thomas are among the co-founders of Recovery in Gaming to help people dealing with addiction.
Jimmy Vaccaro is ready for retirement after 50 years as a bookmaker.
Chris Fargis, formerly of DraftKings, Fanatics and Hard Rock Digital, is the new Managing Director, Sports and Prediction Markets at Crypto.com.
Former Playmaker Capital founder/grand poobah Jordan Gnat joins the Board of Directors at Think Research.
UK sportsbook/casino business Midnite appoints Alex Henderson as Vice President of Compliance.
IC360 promotes Emily Raish to Digital Marketing & Design Lead.
Sam Malloy is promoted to Commercial Lead at Norwegian esports company Heroic.
Jason Richardson comes on board at iGaming Future as Business Development Manager.
Deanna Nguyen departs Aristocrat Gaming after more than three years to become a Relationship Manager with Pavilion Payments.
Liam Fox, ex of theScore, joins the Sportsbook Review as a Publishing Editor.
Allison Howard is appointed President of Business Operations for the WNBA expansion franchise in Cleveland.
Laura Meyers leaves her senior executive position with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx to come on board the Houston Rockets as the Senior VP of Performance Marketing and Business Intelligence.
Sumathi Thiyagarajan is promoted by the Milwaukee Bucks to Senior Vice President, Consumer Revenue and Strategy.
The Toronto Raptors announced Monday a contract extension for General Manager Bobby Webster, and that the NBA club won’t have a replacement for departed president Masai Ujiri for now.
Some shifting of titles within the American Hockey League’s head office. Stephen Thomson is promoted to Vice President, Hockey Operations; Jeff Jordan is named Director, Hockey Operations and Central Registry; Michael Demarin is promoted to Senior Manager, Hockey Administration and Governance, and Shannon Chiras is promoted to Manager, Hockey Operations.
Alex Levy has a new role with the National Basketball Association as Senior Manager, Fan Engagement & Activation.
Samir Bhatia has a new gig with Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment: Manager of Revenue Development for MLSE Foundation.
There’s a quartet of promotions at hockey and soccer sports tech business SportLogiq, including Joni Airisto (Senior Manager, Soccer Services), Justin Vinette (Senior Manager, Elite Hockey), Mike Smith (Manager, Hockey Services) and Noel Mathusan Buvanarajah (Operations Manager, Soccer).
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Classified (Jobs) Information
A tap of ye olde Northland hockey twig to the publisher of this august publication for suggesting that given the breadth and depth (or something like that) of our weekly gig postings that we make it more accessible to our loyal readers.
So, starting this week, we’ve broken up the employment opportunities into three categories.
Here at Home
NeoPollard Interactive has a trio of opportunities for a Customer Success Manager, Play Alberta in Edmonton, and in Toronto for an iGaming Systems Analyst and a Retention Marketing Manager.
iGaming Ontario is on a seek-and-employ mission for an Anti-Money Laundering Risk Analyst.
OLG is in the market for a Data Scientist Manager.
Penn Interactive has a position available in the city above Norval for an Incident Commander.
Bet99 is in the market for a Sportsbook Manager.
Pinnacle has an opening in North York, ON, for a Machine Learning Engineer.
SharpStakes has a remote opportunity for a Sales Training & Performance Manager.
HomeTeam Network is seeking an AI Platform Engineer (ML Ops).
TVO is looking for its next Chief Executive Officer.
Speaker/activist Brock McGillis needs an Operations Manager to lend a hand to his Shiftmakers Tour.
Rogers Sports & Media is hiring a Senior Manager, Distribution Relationships.
Your American League-leading Toronto Blue Jays want to hire a Brand & Digital Marketing Specialist, and they are also seeking candidates to join the Baseball Operations team in entry-level roles.
The Canadian Football League is in search mode for a Manager, Global Partnerships.
Wanted by the Canadian Premier League: an Art Director.
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment is in the market for a Digital Strategist, Global Partnerships.
There’s an opportunity for a Digital Writer with both the Ottawa Senators and the lacrosse Ottawa Black Bears.
The PWHL head office has a remote opportunity (Canada or the U.S. of A.) for a Marketing Copywriter.
FIFA is seeking a bilingual Specialist, Fan Information for the 2026 World Cup.
AthletesCAN is looking for a Manager, Athlete Projects & Operations.
Bauer is hiring at Web Developer at its Mississauga, ON, location.
The TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley golf emporium is looking for a Marketing Coordinator.
WPP Media has a 12-month contract for a Senior Manager, Influencer Marketing.
Canucks Sports and Entertainment are in the market for a Video Editor.
The Ontario Ministry of Emergency Preparedness and Response has a couple of opportunities for a Senior Manager of Communications and a Press Secretary and Communications Advisor.
South of the Border
Caesars Entertainment is hiring a Vice President of Regional Marketing - Midwest Region. The company wants to add an iGaming Live Slots Manager to its team in Jersey City, and is looking for a Public Relations Coordinator to work in Vegas.
DraftKings has an opening in Las Vegas for a Senior Gaming Operations Associate and in Boston for a Product Manager – Casino.
Also in Vegas, there’s a Director, Sales – West post with Aristocrat Gaming.
In New York, FanDuel has a position to fill for a Senior Product Manager, Sportsbook.
The legal team at Genius Sports has an opportunity for a Licensing & Compliance Analyst.
There’s a gig available in Novato, California, for a Director of Digital Content Strategy, NBA 2K.
Incline Gaming Marketing is looking for a CRM Manager.
CBS Sports is hiring an Associate Producer.
The Athletic has an contract position for an Associate Newsroom SEO Editor.
Major League Baseball is seeking a Director, YouTube Original Programming and a Director, Content & Marketing Analytics.
The National Hockey League needs a Senior Project Manager, Information Technology, and is also looking for additions to its Stats and Info team.
There are a whole lotta openings with the Commercial Operations team across the U.S. for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is looking for a Manager, Content Operations.
USA Track and Field has an opening for a Communications & Social Media Manager.
Red Bull is hiring in Denver a Manager, Sports Events and has an opportunity in Santa Monica for a Senior Data Scientist.
The Minnesota Wild are in need of a Ticketing Senior Analyst.
Peloton has up for grabs in New York a position for a Senior Director, Communications, Product and Technology.
The new ECHL franchise in New Mexico needs a Communications & Game Presentation Coordinator.
Across the Ponds
PokerStars has leadership opportunities available in Portugal, Spain and France.
There’s a Senior ASO Executive opening at LiveScore Group in jolly old England.
LeoVegas Group has an opportunity in Sliema, Malta, for a Performance Marketing Director.
Betty is looking to add a Player Experience Manager to its team in London.
In Athens, Kaizen Gaming is hiring a Content Manager, and in Brazil there’s a need for a Data Protection Counsel.
PointsBet has room for a Senior Software Engineer in Melbourne.
Gibraltar gaming product development business Patrianna is seeking a Head of CRO.
Singapore-based Razer is on the lookout for an Associate Manager, Global Esports.
ESPN has an opening in London for a General Editor.
The International Cricket Council is on the lookout for a Manager, Media & Corporate Communications.
UK-based Toucan International is searching for a Head of Digital PR.
Reading and Reflection
1. Mateo Muego of the Vancouver Sun reported on the concerns of experts when it comes to online sports betting by teenagers in British Columbia.
2. Geoff Zochodne reports Kalshi will offer an expanded suite of contracts around the NFL season, which should pour more gas on the fire in the dispute between regulated sportsbooks and prediction markets.
3. Jeff Edelstein for Casino Reports shines a light on class action lawsuits in the gambling industry.
4. ICYMI, the American Gaming Association released its latest report last week, including research that shows Amaricans make $673.6 billion in wagers annually with unregulated operators.
5. Alex Schiffler of Front Office Sports on Little League International’s response to sportsbooks offering action on the Little League World Series. Yep, that’s low-brow stuff for sure.
6. Bragg Gaming Group had its IT systems breached in a cyberattack last weekend. Zak Thomas-Akoo of Next.io has the deets.
7. Buck Wargo of CDC Gaming reports on comments by the head of the Las Vegas tourism agency that the bleak picture being painted on tourism along The Strip is horse hockey.
8. The NBA and the league’s players association, writes ESPN’s David Purdum, support more restrictions on certain types of bets to reduce the risk of manipulation and fight abuse of athletes.
9. Not that there needs to be another reason to subscribe to Steve Ruddock’s rather excellent Straight to the Point newsletter but we present the “10 Gambling Books You Need to Read” edition anyway.
10. The UNLV International Gaming Institute has raised the curtain on an AI Research Hub.
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