PayPal’s presence within global igaming markets makes its absence in Canada notable.
Providing further insight into the reasons for PayPal not being prevalent in Canada, Ville Saari, the Lead Content Manager at Bojoko.ca spoke to PaymentExpert as he stated the lack of a cohesive nationwide regulatory system hinders the payment service in the country.
Saari stated: “PayPal’s policy is to support online gambling transactions only in regions where the industry is fully regulated. In Canada, the regulatory framework for online gambling varies significantly across provinces.
“While some provinces have established their own regulations, there isn’t a cohesive, nationwide regulatory system in place. This fragmented approach doesn’t meet PayPal’s criteria for supporting gambling transactions, leading to its limited availability in Canadian online casinos.”
Picking out specific obstacles, he emphasised that in Canada, gambling laws are primarily orchestrated at the provincial level.
Provinces such as British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec and Alberta have regulatory bodies overseeing gambling activities, but they do not cover online casinos. The only province that currently does this is Ontario.
Saari added: “PayPal requires a robust and uniform regulatory environment to ensure compliance and security. The current provincial regulations, being inconsistent and not uniformly stringent, do not align with PayPal’s operational standards for supporting gambling transactions.
“Currently, Canadian players who prefer using PayPal for online gambling transactions have practically no recourse; they just can’t use the payment method. There may be exceptions or workarounds, but this is not advised. The best thing they can do is look for alternatives.
“We have a guide explaining the hurdles of using PayPal at casinos in Canada, walking our users through the situation. In it, we also list several alternatives with similar functionalities and protections that people who prefer to use PayPal could opt for instead.”
For PayPal to become a more key player in the Canadian market, Saari stated that the regulatory framework would need to go through ‘significant changes’.
“This could, for instance, be achieved through a cohesive nationwide regulatory system similar to the UKGC. Such developments would provide the uniformity and security that PayPal requires to operate in the online gambling sector.
“The absence of PayPal is mainly an annoyance for all parties involved. If you look at the UK casino sector, PayPal is one of the most used payment methods, but players need to look elsewhere in Canada. PayPal is an easy and reputable payment method for casinos to implement, instantly generating trust, and that’s a loss.
“However, the biggest hurdle is the players needing to test and choose alternatives. It can deter getting started, though once you’re set up and happy with an alternative, it’s business as usual.”
Rush Street Interactive has announced the appointment of Thomas Winter to its Board of Directors, bringing almost two decades of gambling industry experience to the operator.
Winter’s career history includes founding Golden Nugget Online Gaming in 2013 and serving as its President, before the operator was sold to DraftKings, where he led and developed their multi-brand online casino strategy until September 2023.
Prior to Golden Nugget Online Gaming and DraftKings, Winter was the CEO and Director of Betclic and Expekt, a brand within the Betclic Group. He was also COO at both businesses before being appointed CEO.
With Winter’s appointment, Rush Street Interactive’s Board of Directors now stands at nine members.
“We are thrilled to welcome Thomas to our board”, commented Richard Schwartz, CEO of Rush Street Interactive.
“His proven track record in the online gaming industry and his strategic vision will be invaluable as we continue to expand our footprint and enhance our offerings. We look forward to his contributions and are confident that his expertise will help drive our future success.”
In November, Rush Street Interactive’s proprietary online poker platform, BetRivers Poker, was launched in partnership with professional poker player Phil Galfond.
Initially going live in the US state of Pennsylvania, Rush Street Interactive has plans to expand the BetRivers Poker platform into additional jurisdictions.
