August 15 2016
The structure of gambling in Canada differs in important ways from many other jurisdictions, including the United States. In Canada, gambling is legal only when it is supervised and managed by a provincial or the federal government. Commercial casinos may only be operated under the management of a provincial government. Gambling activities that are authorized in Canada are regulated, including provincially operated gambling websites. Casinos, similar to banks and other areas of the Canadian economy traditionally viewed as vulnerable to money launderers, are closely regulated with respect to money laundering and terrorist financing risks.
Casinos operate within a highly regulated legal environment and are subject to the supervision of provincial government regulators as well as the oversight of the federal anti-money laundering regulator. Provincial lottery corporations, which are agents of the government created to manage gambling, establish and implement operating standards, policies and procedures to ensure the compliance by casinos with applicable laws, and in particular anti-money laundering requirements. To date there are no known cases in Canada where a person has been arrested, charged or convicted of a money laundering offence that directly involves a casino. Government and businesses have responded in various positive ways to