Ladbrokes’ authorities have announced that they are not going to provide their gambling services in Canada anymore. The operator is just one of the several providers that have already withdrawn the gaming activities they offer.
Yesterday, all the Canada – based customers of Ladbrokes were notified via email that from October 1st, they won’t be able to use their accounts and make deposits or bets. It was also said in the email that the account holders will be allowed to get the funds they have already deposited back within the next month but it was also reported that any extra funds or a sum of money that haven’t been obtained before the deadline given will be lost provided that the account holder is located in Canada.
Ladbrokes’ representatives were not willing to give detailed information about the reason that had led to their decision to withdraw the services from the Canadian market. All they said was that they are really strict about the services they offer round the globe and they have never under- or overestimated their abilities.
As mentioned above, the UK managed Ladbrokes platform was not the first to abandon the Canadian gambling industry and its positions in the country. Actually, it just continues the tendency some other corporations started. Earlier this year Matchbook, Betfred and Skrill publicly declared that they will no longer operate in Canada.
The target date, claimed by Ladbrokes – October 1st, is the day when the refined licensing regime, issued by the UK Gambling Commission, will be put forward. From October 1st on, any gambling operator will be asked to provide legal justification for continued operations if at least 3% of the company’s turnover is obtained through the black or grey market otherwise the re-licensing procedure will come to a standstill.
Although Ladbrokes was not the most important company at the Canadian gaming market, the efforts, made towards becoming a major player, are well known.
In general, the Canadian online gambling industry is not as developed as in some other countries. Actually, it is constantly experiencing various restrictions and the local lottery providers are the best alternative for players. However, the laws give the operators some freedom provided that their company is not based in Canada. A few months ago, the anti-money laundering regulations, concerning the online casinos were also discussed, analyzed and well formulated so the local monopolists shouldn’t pose a difficulty for a foreign provider to develop their project.
The C-290 bill turned out to be the bone of contention. A few days ago, the authorities gave permission to the gaming providers to offer the so called “single-game” kind of betting activities, which resembles the services, Ladbrokes used to provide. However, despite the pressure the regulators face, the problematic C-290 bill is not likely to be considered and read for third (hopefully final) time in the foreseeable future.
