FINTRAC Fines New Brunswick, Nova Scotia Gaming Bodies

Canada's financial intelligence agency has fined two Atlantic provincial gaming corporations for anti-money-laundering failures. The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada announced on Sept. 3 that it imposed a combined C$631,538.50 penalty on the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation and the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation. Both organizations failed to submit suspicious transaction reports despite reasonable grounds for suspicion, FINTRAC found. The penalties follow compliance examinations tied to Atlantic Lottery Corporation's online casino operations, a company jointly owned by the two provincial bodies along with their counterparts in Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

FINTRAC Fines New Brunswick Lotteries Over Missed Reports

FINTRAC imposed a C$399,712.50 penalty on the New Brunswick Lotteries and Gaming Corporation, the larger of the two fines. The regulator found the corporation failed to file three suspicious transaction reports despite clear warning signs in player activity. Those signs included shared credit cards or contact details among apparently unrelated players, as well as links between accounts and unconnected third parties.

FINTRAC cited suspected false identification, excessive prepaid-card deposits, and chargebacks suggesting unauthorized use. The corporation has since paid the fine in full. FINTRAC confirmed the case is now closed. New Brunswick's finance minister said in a statement that no evidence of money laundering was found during the review.

Nova Scotia Gaming Fined for Three AML Violations

The Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation received a C$231,826 penalty covering three separate violations. FINTRAC found the corporation failed to submit a suspicious transaction report despite reasonable grounds for suspicion.

Regulators also identified gaps in the organization's written compliance policies, finding they were neither properly kept up to date nor consistently applied.

The agency also determined Nova Scotia Gaming lacked a documented enterprise-level assessment of money-laundering and terrorist-financing risk. FINTRAC's Acting Director and CEO, Stéphane Sirard, said Canada's anti-money-laundering regime protects Canadians' safety and the integrity of the financial system. Nova Scotia Gaming has paid its penalty in full. The case is now closed.

FINTRAC's 2026 Crackdown Hits Record Enforcement Levels

These penalties mark the third FINTRAC enforcement action against Atlantic Canadian gaming bodies in 2026. The agency fined Atlantic Lottery Corporation C$212,025 in May for similar violations, including failures to file a suspicious transaction report and to conduct a risk assessment.

New Brunswick Lotteries and Nova Scotia Gaming are both shareholders in Atlantic Lottery, tying the three cases together. FINTRAC has ramped up enforcement broadly. In 2025-26, the agency issued 35 notices of violation across all sectors, the highest number in a single year in its history, with penalties exceeding C$247 million.