TLDR The International Association of Gaming Regulators launched CheckBeforeYouPlay.org, a free tool to verify gambling site licenses. The tool covers IAGR member regulators in Ontario, British Columbia and Manitoba. The launch is part of the first Illegal Gambling Awareness Week, running Nov. 9 to 13. A May study found 91.1% of Ontario online gamblers used regulated sites, leaving just under 10% on unregulated ones. Ontario’s regulated market earned CA$416.3 million in September, with a record 1.413 million active accounts.
Nearly one in ten online gamblers in Ontario still play on sites without a provincial license. A new free tool released this week aims to help Canadians spot those sites before they sign up.
The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) has launched CheckBeforeYouPlay.org. The website lets users check whether a gambling site is licensed in several Canadian provinces.
How the New Checker Works
Users enter a gambling site’s web address into the tool. It then shows available licensing information for covered IAGR member jurisdictions, using regulatory records and other verified public sources.
The checker was built by Sharp Vision, a regulatory technology company based in Paris. The firm helps regulators monitor markets, study betting and payment data, and find unlicensed online gambling sites.
IAGR members include the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), British Columbia’s Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch, and Manitoba’s Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority. As a result, the tool gives users a summary of what is licensed in those provinces.
“People often mistake visibility for trust,” said Kevin Mullally, IAGR’s chief executive. He said a professional-looking website or a familiar name can make people feel confident without knowing if the site is licensed where they live.
Mullally said the group wants consumers to check a site’s licensing status as a regular habit. He