Canada
Betting operators make substantial investment in Canadian athlete education
CA$300,000 committed over three years
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and its member operators bet365, Betway and FanDuel announced a commitment to establish and fund a best-in-class Canada-wide athlete education program. The funding partners have pledged to invest at least CA$300,000 over three years in the program to address the potential threat to athletes, sport and the regulated market from sports betting related match-fixing and fraud.
The announcement was made at the high-level “Symposium on Competition Manipulation and Gambling in Sport” taking place in Toronto, an event co-sponsored by IBIA, bet365, Betway and FanDuel. It was launched in front of a distinguished audience including representatives of major Canadian and US sports, such as the CFL, CPL, Hockey Canada, NFL, NBA and NHL, and national and provisional governments and licensing and regulatory authorities, such as the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.
The project funding partners are in active discussions regarding a delivery body, with the intention to finalise it in the coming weeks. The program will then be rolled out over the second half of this year and is intended to include face-to-face athlete training, an e-learning portal, anonymous reporting app and awareness raising material.
Jean-Francois Reymond, IBIA’s Education Ambassador and a former professional basketball player and Vice-President of the World Players Association, who has been a pioneer of sports integrity education since its inception, announced the project during his opening keynote speech. He informed the Symposium that: “Protecting the integrity of sport means protecting the integrity of athletes. Most often through a lack of awareness, it is the athletes who are risking their careers and livelihoods. Our objective is to build a best-in-class program for all athletes that serves to protect the integrity of Canadian sport and the careers of Canada’s athletes.”
Anthony Werkman, CEO of Betway, said: “Protecting the integrity of sport is key to what we do, so we’re delighted to be giving our commitment to working with our partners to fund and develop an effective athlete education program in Canada. As a global brand, we have a commitment to combatting any form of betting corruption, both globally and locally, and we look forward to working with the other members to help shape a better future for both sports organisations and regulators.”
Dale Hooper, GM, FanDuel Canada, said: “Maintaining the integrity of sport is essential to players’ safety and enjoyment—the pillars of what we do at FanDuel. As a newly-regulated market, we are committed to supporting educational programs in Ontario that will help increase understanding and protections for athletes, bettors, and beyond.”
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, the leading global voice on integrity for the licensed betting industry, said: “IBIA is delighted that our members, such as bet365, Betway and FanDuel, are so committed to sports betting education and are prepared to invest in such an important initiative. All of the partners are excited to see the positive impact this project will have on maintaining the integrity of Canadian sport and the players themselves. For IBIA, sports integrity, and investing in the people that make sport happen, matters.”
A not-for-profit association, IBIA is the largest operator-run betting integrity monitoring body in the world, with over 120 sports betting brands generating approximately CA$185 billion (over US$137 billion) in total wagers placed per annum. It represents the majority of the betting operators licensed in Ontario, including the project co-financers bet365, Betway and FanDuel.
Internet Gaming Operator by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
This significant milestone authorizes absolutebet to offer regulated iGaming services in Ontario’s legal market under the oversight of AGCO and iGaming Ontario (iGO).
The registration marks a key step in absolutebet’s mission to bring a trusted, responsible, and innovative online casino experience to Ontario players. absolutebet is committed to operating with integrity and transparency, meeting all provincial standards for player protection, responsible gambling, anti-money laundering, and game integrity.
“Securing AGCO registration is more than a milestone—it’s the start of absolutebet’s journey in one of the most exciting regulated markets in the world,” said Chen Truman, Founder of absolutebet. “We are building a brand that will grow with the Ontario community and set the stage for future expansion.”
On the regulatory milestone, Krisztina Kalla, Legal & Regulatory Compliance Advisor of absolutebet, commented: “I’m incredibly proud to see all the hard work behind this license pay off. Securing AGCO registration has taken months of preparation and close collaboration with regulators and partners. I am very happy to see the result of that work, and even more excited as we move into the launch phase and open up the absolutebet community to Ontario players in a fun and responsible way.”
Ontario is recognized as one of the most competitive and fast-growing regulated iGaming markets in North America. With AGCO registration secured, absolutebet will move forward with the final stages of its iGO onboarding process in preparation for launch.
Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has partnered with Caesars Entertainment to expand its footprint in the Canadian market, following its initial entry earlier this year. The partnership integrates 20 of the studio’s top-performing titles onto Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in Ontario, including fan-favourites such as Hot Triple Sevens, Triple Chili, and The Greatest Catch Bonus Buy.
Having announced its official entrance into Ontario in March, the collaboration with Caesars marks a significant step in Evoplay’s local strategy. Further standout releases, such as Inner Fire Bonus Buy and Hot Volcano, also launched as part of the initial package, with additional player favourites, including Fruit Nova and Ice Mania.
The collaboration underlines Evoplay’s commitment to working with leading operators to deliver high-quality content tailored to regional audiences.
Alex Malchenko, Head of Sales at Evoplay, said: “Launching with Caesars in Ontario marks a key milestone in our North American strategy.
“It reflects both the strength of our portfolio and our commitment to providing innovative, high-performing content to operators of the highest caliber.”
Ricardo Cornejo Rivas, Vice President of Online Gaming at Caesars Digital, said: “Evoplay brings a fresh and dynamic approach to online gaming, which we’re excited to offer to our players in Ontario. This portfolio of standout titles adds to our growing content library and furthering our ongoing goal of delivering top-tier entertainment experiences to our players.”
The iGaming Ontario Board of Directors has announced Joseph Hillier as the organization’s new President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 8, 2025. Joseph’s depth in the Ontario igaming market combined with successful public and private sector careers make him the ideal President and CEO at this critical point in iGaming Ontario’s growth.
Joseph was most recently Chief Strategy Officer and Corporate Secretary at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), where he delivered significant strategic and regulatory initiatives across the province’s alcohol, cannabis, gaming, and horse racing sectors. Prior to the AGCO, he served as Chief of Staff to Ontario Attorney General Hon. Doug Downey and led the development, launch and implementation of Canada’s first private sector-driven igaming market and the creation of iGaming Ontario. Joseph also spent more than a decade working in the financial and legal services sectors.
The Board expressed its sincere thanks to David Smith for serving as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer since Martha Otton’s retirement.
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