
Gambling lessons: Why trusted casinos are key, Ontario learners get death threats for unlicensed casino debt
By Ramona Depares
New day, new reason why players should only use trusted Canadian online casino sites. High school students in Ontario recently received a very nasty surprise when some students received death threats over unpaid gambling debts at an unlicensed online casino.
Several Canadian media houses, including Global News and CTV News, reported how the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) launched a full-scale investigation after the major crimes unit received information about a gambling operation that was targeting students at Orillia High schools. Under-aged teens were lured to sign up for an illegal gambling website via a campaign; those who registered and failed to pay up any gambling debts became the victims of coordinated intimidation that included death threats.
According to police, the site in question is unregistered, and exactly how bets and payments were placed remains unclear. What is clear is that there were at least two death threats reported and that the issue may be more widespread than what has initially been discovered.
Members of the public have been asked to approach the OPP if they are aware of any related information. Meanwhile, the case is turning out to be a very keen example as to why players should always check any sites they choose carefully, and why using trusted online casinos in Canada is key to player safety.
Teen arrested in the case
Replying to questions from the press, Sergeant Matt Stoner from the Orillia community mobilization unit stated that they believe that the issue is localized, but may involve students in more than one school in Orillia.
CTV News has already reported the arrest of one underage student who is being charged with uttering threats to cause death. The young person is reportedly a student at Patrick Fogerty Catholic High, and in fact, parents of students attending the school received a letter from Principal Jenny Leduc confirming this. The school is also encouraging parents to have conversations with their children about the matter, in an effort to uncover whether more students were targeted. Support services are being provided to those who have been affected by the illegal gambling operation.
Gambling lessons to be learnt
The case that’s currently unfolding in Orillia only serves to underscore the importance of using registered and trusted online casinos in Canada. Some players may think that just because they’re of age and adult enough to weigh the pros and cons of any gambling site, they have the green light to play at unregistered casinos without incurring any risks. This couldn’t be further than the truth – when you’re making a casino deposit at an unlicensed site, you are literally placing your hard-earned cash at risk.
Still not convinced? Fair enough – if it’s evidence in black and white you’re after, we have it here for you. Our team of Minimum Deposit Casinos Canada experts are veterans who have been playing and testing such sites for years. But you don’t get to the diamonds without having to wade through some thrash, right? Our job is literally to test all the dodgy, shady sites so that you don’t have to and we are happy to report back on our findings so that you don’t need to touch anything but the best online casinos Canada.
When going through the testing process, we compiled a list of reasons why it’s so important to steer clear of unregulated casinos. Below we will explain exactly why we always recommend licensed casinos that operate to the standards expected by a global gambling regulator.
- You enjoy very high standards of data protection – all gambling licenses require highly secure platforms where you can share your personal data with peace of mind. In fact, you’ll see that the best online casinos in Canada have high-level encryption, usually denoted by the SSL lock. Licensed sites are happy to share this information with you, so you will find all relevant details on the page dealing with safety and security or in the FAQs.
- Your money is guaranteed safe – Trusted casinos use banking methods that are equally trustworthy, whether it’s credit card brands like VISA or MasterCard or e-wallets like Interac, you are protected by the banking provider itself. Such payment options also use a very high level of security, such as two-factor authentication (2FA) so you never worry that you’re sharing your financial information with unscrupulous people or that your data is being intercepted.
- You benefit from a solid responsible gambling program – the idea behind online gambling is that it should be fun. If it starts affecting your mental health or taking over your life and finances, then it’s no longer fun and it becomes an issue. Gambling regulators like Curaçao or the Malta Gambling Authority are aware of this and they fully prioritize the interests of the players, not of the casino. This is why sites that have a gambling license have a positive approach to player safety. All licensed casinos offer a safe gambling program that informs players about the signs of addiction, with some even providing online quizzes so you can gauge whether you have a healthy approach to wagering. Moreover, you will also find support tools to help you if you’re struggling – these include bet, loss and time limits and even self-exclusion options. There may also be links to support organizations like BeGambleAware provided. Unregistered sites, on the other hand, are under no obligation to protect their players or to promote responsible gambling, so anyone who is struggling is unlikely to find any support.
- All casino games are probably fair – when you’re wagering on a casino game you’re essentially trusting the site to keep things fair. This means that the house edge or RTP percentage is described accurately and that results are truly random and not rigged in favourite of the site. If you’re playing at a regulated casino you don’t need to worry about this, for several reasons. One of the conditions imposed by all Gambling licenses is regular and independent game auditing to ensure that all RNG games are fair. You will often see the logos of companies like iTechLabs and eCOGRA when you scroll down to the very bottom of a casino landing page. These are essentially independent auditors who periodically check the site’s games and issue fairness certificates. The presence of their logo is a sure indication that you don’t need to worry about game fairness.
- You will find top games from leading software providers – similarly to the above, a licensed casino is in a position to host games by globally renowned names like NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Evolution, Pish Gaming and more. Such big brands have a reputation and a license to protect, and thus will only offer their games to legal casino sites. Unlicensed sites, on the other hand, are more likely to be limited to in-house titles that are not necessarily audited, so you don’t know if you’re being taken for a ride. Cut a long story short, you may soon that wheel as much as you like but if the game isn’t authenticated there’s a good chance that you’re never going to see any winnings. If you want to be able to play tried-and-tested fan favorites you need to place your money at a licensed site. Also, consider that reputable software providers are also licensed by gambling regulators, so their games have also gone through a separate process of auditing.
- You gain access to efficient customer support – all licensed casinos are required to offer channels of customer support that are reasonably efficient. Canadian online casinos in fact have 24/7 live chat options that will see any question answered in minutes, if not seconds. This doesn’t necessarily hold true at unregulated sites, which are under no obligation to provide such features. This means that if you encounter an issue or a glitch – and let’s face it, these things can happen because life is not perfect – you won’t always find the help you need.
- You’re protected by law – let’s say you encounter a serious issue and you feel that you have a right to compensation. Good luck finding legal help if you’ve been playing at an illegal casino! Such sites operate outside the scope of the law so you’re not going to find any protection there. Licensed casinos, on the other hand, operate within a very strict legal infrastructure. They are under an obligation to deal with players’ complaints within a certain time limit. If they fail to do so, you have every right to alert the gambling regulator that issued the license to prosecute the complaint on your behalf. You yourself won’t need to do anything, as the regulator will carry out its own investigation. If the casino is found to be at fault, it will be subject to a massive fine and could also face license suspension or withdrawal.
When playing at trusted Canadian online casino sites you do not need to worry about any of the above issues. You may be wondering how you can tell whether the site you’ve picked is legal or not. To start off with, all the sites recommended at Minimum Deposit Casinos Canada operate to a very high degree of trust.
We only recommend licensed sites that operate with one of the top licenses. These are the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), the Curacao eGaming, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, among others.
If you would like a way to check for yourself, it’s very easy. Simply scroll to the very bottom of an online casino page and if it’s licensed you will find the details in the footer, together with the logo.