The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) joined calls for Canada to strengthen its anti-money laundering legislation, and in 2025 pressure is mounting from the US.
In a review of its 2024 advocacy, the CGA outlined that one of its core goals for last year was to ‘actively participate’ in Canada’s parliamentary review of the Proceedings of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTF).
PCMLTF has outlined Canada’s legislative framework around AML since December 2001, when it came into effect as an amendment of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) Act.
Canada has been facing pressure in recent years, however, to upgrade its AML regulations. Donald Trump, the newly elected US President who will start his second term in office later this month, and his political allies have been particularly vocal on this.
Trump has christened himself the ‘Tariff Man’ and has been openly critical of Canada’s business relationship with the US, stating that he may introduce tariffs of up to 25% on Canadian imports.
An add on to this has seen him argue that Canada’s AML regulations need improvement due to being less stringent than in the US.
The CGA has not commented at all on Trump’s opinions on Canadian AML, but it nonetheless is supportive of the parliamentary review into the PCMLTF.
The association states that it wants to assist legislators in ensuring that Canada’s AML laws and regulations ‘better reflect the evolution of Canada’s gaming industry’.
As it stands, only one Canadian province has an open betting and gaming market with various private licence holders, this being the country’s largest province of Ontario.
However, this province has emerged as one of the largest and most valuable in North America. In addition, market launches are expected in the provinces of Alberta and/or British Colombia in the coming years.
As the industry expands, robust AML regulations will be a necessity.
