Serious Risks
During what has been a record-breaking year for Ontario gambling, casinos in the province have been unable to file suspicious transaction reports using the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) portal.
Due to a cyberattack, the regulated online gambling industry was unable to file mandatory suspicious transaction reports with Canada’s financial intelligence unit in a year when it processed nearly $83 billion in total wagers.
This is more alarming because, during 2024, a report from TransUnion Canada identified online gambling as the industry most targeted by digital fraudsters. In January this year, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) specifically warned against known fentanyl traffickers using gambling platforms to launder their drug profits.
A business and technology publication report revealed that, for a full year, the licensed and legally operating casinos in Ontario couldn’t use the primary reporting channel for suspicious activity. The disruption of the FINTRAC web portal came when the agency decided to take the system offline after a cyber attack in March 2024.
This was part of a network-wide attack that also left other businesses in the province unable to use the service. As such, it is impossible to know how many instances were not reported.
Growing Digital Threats
Ontario’s licensed operators processed nearly $83 billion in total wagers in the 2024–25 fiscal year. For nine months of that year, they could not file suspicious transaction reports through the required FINTRAC channel. The access was restored in March 2025 after the agency made system upgrades.
FINTRAC have stated that the attackers didn’t transfer any sensitive data in the attack. Still, the prolonged gap has raised serious questions about Canada’s anti-money laundering systems amidst growing digital threats.
Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) President and CEO Paul Burns described the situation as awful for everybody. The CGA has identified anti-money laundering compliance as a top priority, especially in the Ontario digital gaming space.
In order to address future risk, the iGO is developing its own automated reporting system. An iGO spokesperson, Josh Elliott said the new system will aim to streamline submissions about suspicious activity. However, details such as the timeline and functionality of the tool are limited.
