Canada
Fraudsters in Canada Shift Focus to Travel and Leisure
As the prevalence of digital fraud attempts on businesses and consumers continues to rise, TransUnion’s newest quarterly analysis found that fraudsters are re-focusing their efforts from financial services to the travel and leisure and gaming industries.
Across industries, the rate of suspected digital fraud attempts1 rose 16.5% globally when comparing Q2 2021 to Q2 2020. In Canada, the percentage of digital fraud attempts increased at a much higher rate of 44.9% during the same time period. Gaming and travel and leisure were the two most impacted industries globally for the suspected digital fraud attempt rate, rising 393.0% and 155.9% in the last year, respectively. In Canada, this rate rose 209.8% for gaming and 216.1% for travel and leisure.
TransUnion monitors digital fraud attempts reported by businesses in varied industries such as gambling, gaming, financial services, healthcare, insurance, retail and travel and leisure, among others. The conclusions are based on intelligence from billions of transactions and more than 40,000 websites and apps contained in its flagship identity proofing, risk-based authentication and fraud analytics solution suite – TransUnion TruValidate
“It is quite common for fraudsters to shift their focus every few months from one industry to another,” said Anne-Marie Kelly, head of Market Development, Identity Management and Fraud Solutions at TransUnion. “Fraudsters tend to seek out industries that may be seeing an immense growth in transactions. This quarter, as countries began to open up more from their COVID-19 lockdowns and travel and other leisure activities became more mainstream, fraudsters clearly made this industry a top target. The immense growth in gaming fraud also can likely be attributed to the shifts in focus of fraudsters as this growing market becomes a larger target.”
An example of the shift in focus of fraudsters can be seen in financial services. Global financial services suspected online fraud attempt rates had risen 149% when comparing the first four months of 2021 and the last four months of 2020. But when comparing Q2 2021 and Q2 2020, the rate of suspected online financial services fraud attempts have still risen, but at a much lower rate of 18.8% globally and 29.7% in Canada.
Global Industry Year-over-Year Suspected Digital Fraud Attempt Rate Increases and Declines in Q2 2021
| Industry | Suspected Fraud Percentage Change |
Top Type of Fraud | |
| Largest Percentage Increases | |||
| Gaming | 393.0% | Gold Farming | |
| Travel & Leisure | 155.9% | Credit Card Fraud | |
| Gambling | 36.2% | Policy/License Agreement Violations | |
| Largest Percentage Declines | |||
| Logistics | -49.2% | Shipping Fraud | |
| Telecommunications | -30.8% | True Identity Theft | |
| Insurance | -16.7% | Suspected Ghost Broker | |
Industry Year-over-Year Suspected Digital Fraud Attempt Rate Increases and Declines in Q2 2021 Coming from Canada
| Industry | Suspected Fraud Percentage Change |
Top Type of Fraud | |
| Largest Percentage Increases | |||
| Travel & Leisure | 216.1% | Credit Card Fraud | |
| Gaming | 209.8% | Gold Farming | |
| Retail | 139.4% | Inappropriate Content | |
| Logistics | 90.3% | Shipping Fraud | |
| Largest Percentage Declines | |||
| Telecommunications | -97.2% | True Identity Theft | |
| Gambling | -39.8% | Policy/License Agreement Violations | |
| Communities (Online dating, forums, etc.) |
-22.2% | Profile Misrepresentation | |
More than one-third of consumers continue to be targeted by COVID-19 related digital fraud
As online fraud attempts against businesses continue to escalate, one in three consumers stated that they have been targeted by a digital fraud scheme related to COVID-19 during the second quarter of 2021. TransUnion’s Consumer Pulse study in June 2021 found that approximately 36% of global survey respondents said they were targeted by fraudsters in COVID-19 related digital schemes. The same percentage of respondents (36%) in Canada also said they were targeted.
Phishing is the top type of COVID-19 related digital fraud impacting global consumers in Q2 2021. Phishing is a cybercrime that uses methods like email, text messages and websites to steal personal information, which criminals use to commit identity and financial crimes. Among global consumers who say they were targeted with COVID-19-related digital fraud, 33% state they have been targeted by or fallen victim to such fraud. Stolen credit card or fraudulent charges was the second most cited type of COVID-19 related online fraud among those targeted, affecting global consumers at 24%. In Canada, phishing was number one at 41% followed by stolen credit card or fraudulent charges at 25%.
“More than one in three Canadians surveyed have been targeted by or fallen victim to digital fraud during the pandemic, placing even more pressure on businesses to ensure their customers are confident in transacting with them,” said Kelly. “As fraudsters continue to target consumers, it’s incumbent on businesses to do all that they can to ensure their customers have an appropriate level of security to trust their transaction is safe all while having a friction-right experience to avoid shopping cart abandonment.”
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BGaming
CasinoCanada launches free social slot tournament
CasinoCanada.com launches a new social tournament system built around free-to-enter slot competitions, combining daily, weekly, and monthly events with leaderboards, bonus prizes, and exclusive merchandise.
The tournaments are powered entirely by BGaming slots, marking the first industry collaboration between an affiliate brand and BGaming focused specifically on social tournament engagement.
Participation in all tournaments is free for registered users of legal gambling age.
Players compete across rotating tournaments featuring a changing lineup of BGaming titles, including hit titles Aztec Magic Bonanza, Bonanza Billion, and Elvis Frog, among others.
Prizes include various bonuses and free spins from CasinoCanada partner casinos.
Selected special tournaments also feature exclusive BGaming merchandise prizes.
Tournament performance is reflected in public leaderboards, adding a competitive and community-driven layer to the CasinoCanada experience.
While social slot tournaments have become increasingly common in iGaming, many existing formats are built around the same providers and similar tournament structures.
CasinoCanada’s approach focuses on free participation, rotating BGaming content, partner casino bonus rewards, merchandise prizes, and recurring competition.
Eugene Ravdin, Head of PR at CasinoCanada, said: “The affiliate industry is moving beyond static review pages and traditional bonus listings. Community features, recurring engagement formats, and social competition are becoming increasingly important for long-term audience retention.
“Our goal is to create something more interactive and community-driven while also giving more visibility to BGaming’s slot portfolio through a format that players can engage with on a daily basis.”
Kate Puteiko, CMO at BGaming, said: “Players and the community have always been the beating heart of everything we do here at BGaming.
Online play no longer has to be a solitary activity, and tournaments like this are an excellent way to connect players and enhance everyone’s experience.
CasinoCanada shares this vision, and this collaboration is a natural extension of that.
We are excited to see our games front and centre of these tournaments and for players to begin creating memorable moments competing with them.”
CasinoCanada plans to introduce additional community features in the future, including gamification systems and forum functionality designed to expand user interaction around the tournament ecosystem.
The tournaments are now live at: https://casinocanada.com/tournaments/
The post CasinoCanada launches free social slot tournament appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Betnova
Delasport Accelerates Canadian Growth
Delasport continues to strengthen its position in the Canadian regulated market, now powering three live brands in Ontario while preparing for further expansion into Alberta as the province moves toward opening its regulated online gaming market.
Delasport’s technology is currently live in Ontario with TitanPlay.ca, Maverick Games, and Betnova.ca. The company provides a combination of full turnkey platform solutions of Casino, Sport, Player Account Management and Managed Services as well as its high-performance Sportsbook iFrame technology. This enables operators to launch quickly while delivering a premium user experience tailored to the Canadian audience.
With Ontario continuing to establish itself as one of North America’s most competitive regulated markets, Delasport’s growing local presence reflects the company’s long-term commitment to Canada and its confidence in the market’s continued evolution.
“Ontario is a strategically important market for us, and it has already proven to be a strong success story. Seeing multiple brands successfully operating on our technology and services demonstrates the strength of our platform in acquiring and retaining players in Ontario. We’re excited to continue this momentum as we prepare for Alberta,” said Oren Cohen Shwartz, CEO of Delasport.
As part of its next phase of Canadian growth, Delasport has officially applied for Alberta’s upcoming B2B licensing framework and is already preparing to go live with a partner operator once the market opens.
The company’s Canadian momentum is further supported by its mobile-first approach. TitanPlay’s iOS application is already available on the Apple App Store for users in Ontario, delivering a seamless casino and sportsbook experience powered by Delasport technology.
Delasport’s platform in Canada includes a wide range of personalization and engagement tools designed to enhance user retention and entertainment value.
The company has continued to position itself as one of the industry’s leading providers in regulated markets worldwide, with a strong focus on scalable technology, localization, compliance, and player-centric innovation.
The post Delasport Accelerates Canadian Growth appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Canada
Responsible Gambling Council Urges Financial Institutions to Strengthen Protections Against Gambling Harm
The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) has urged Canada’s financial sector to take a proactive role in mitigating gambling-related financial harm. A new whitepaper released highlights how banks and credit unions are uniquely positioned to protect the financial well-being of their customers.
The whitepaper, Opportunities for Impact: The Role of Financial Institutions in Mitigating Gambling-Related Harm, argues that financial institutions have a unique duty of care. Financial institutions have direct access to gambling transaction data that reveals early warning signs of financial vulnerability. These indicators include rapidly shrinking savings and an increased reliance on overdrafts or credit.
“The rapid expansion of regulated gambling in Canada requires an evolved response from our financial systems. By adopting tools already proven in other jurisdictions, Canadian banks can become leaders in protecting customer financial health,” said Tracy Parker, SVP, Accreditation, Advisory & Insights at RGC.
Jurisdictions like the UK and Australia have already recognized the powerful role financial institutions play. Banks such as Monzo and Starling in the UK were the first to offer voluntary gambling blocks to their customers. Similarly, the National Australia Bank provides dedicated support pages and links to financial counseling.
RGC recommends that Canadian financial institutions implement several key strategies:
• Improving the accuracy of Merchant Category Codes to better track gambling spend.
• Offering voluntary transaction blocks and self-defined monthly spend limits.
• Providing targeted messaging and support resources within digital banking platforms.
Beyond retail banking, RGC highlights the importance of commercial relationships. Financial institutions can influence industry practices by setting high harm prevention expectations for gambling operators. Integrating these considerations into due diligence processes helps mitigate reputational and regulatory risks.
The post Responsible Gambling Council Urges Financial Institutions to Strengthen Protections Against Gambling Harm appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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