iGaming Outside of Ontario: Intra-Country and International Play The Government of Ontario recently made a reference to the Court of the Appeal for Ontario seeking to determine whether intra-country and international play in an online provincial lottery scheme is permitted by law. This blog provides a brief overview of the reference procedure, summarizes the contents of the reference and provides a timeline for when we can expect updates on this matter. The Reference and the Timeline The “reference procedure” is the ability of the government in Canada to ask a direct question (a “refere ..read more

FINTRAC Cyberattack: What MSB's Need to Know The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (“FINTRAC” or the “Centre”) supervises anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing in Canada. It acts as the country’s financial intelligence unit and aims to detect, prevent and deter money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities. FINTRAC was recently subject to a cyber incident and this blog provides a brief review of the events and details about potential consequences for money services businesses (MSBs). Summary of Events On March 3, 2024, FINTRAC release ..read more

Tenants Beware: The Obligation to Withhold Tax on Rent Paid to a Non-Resident Landlord The Retail Payments Activities Act (the “RPAA”) aims to regulate retail payment activities in order to ensure the safety and security of the Canadian financial sector. This blog provides an overview of the RPAA and how it applies to payments service providers (the “PSPs”). Timeline The registration provisions of the RPAA will begin to take effect on November 1, 2024 and PSPs will be required to submit a registration application by November 15, 2024. There will be a transition period from November 1, 2 ..read more

Activision-Blizzard Anti-Trust Lawsuit Has the Potential to Fundamentally Change the Esports Industry A new lawsuit is making headlines in the world of esports, and while I tend to roll my eyes at headlines stating that a particular case might “change esports forever,” in this particular case, that may actually be true, so I thought I would provide a summary of the case and the issues it brings up. The lawsuit essentially alleges that Activision-Blizzard, publisher of the of the hugely successful Call of Duty video game franchise and operator of the associated Call of Duty esports leagu ..read more

Tenants Beware: The Obligation to Withhold Tax on Rent Paid to a Non-Resident Landlord Tenants have a very important obligation under Part XIII of the Income Tax Act that is often overlooked. A recent federal court decision (3792391 Canada Inc. v. The King) sheds light on the potential consequences tenants may face if they do not meet this Part XIII Income Tax Act obligation. This article outlines the nature of the obligation, highlights key takeaways from the federal court decision, and provides strategies to ensure tenants are protecting themselves from liability for non-compliance with ..read more

Navigating the Changing Landscape of Money Laundering Through Online Gambling The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (“FINTRAC”) released a Special Bulletin in January 2024 (the “Bulletin”) addressing the rise of money laundering through online gambling (“iGaming”) platforms. The Bulletin explores key points and insights provided by FINTRAC, aiming to raise awareness among reporting entities, banks, and money services businesses on the risks associated with this growing issue. The digital era has witnessed an exponential surge in iGaming, with the industry expecte ..read more

Vancouver iGaming Meetup: Reflecting on 2023 & Predictions for Industry Trends in 2024 Couldn’t attend the Vancouver iGaming Meetup at Segev LLP’s offices as 2023 came to a close? Not to worry, we compiled a summary of the most interesting insights overheard at this regular industry gathering, as summarized by our co-hosts, and are sharing them with you here. We heard conversations about recent challenges, new developments, upcoming projects and generally, the future of the iGaming industry as a whole for 2024 and beyond. Here were some of the major themes your hosts took note of durin ..read more

Protections for the Gig Economy: Legislative Reform What is the Gig Economy? The gig economy is a term used to describe a marketplace in which individuals, gig workers, accept short-term contracts and freelance work in place of traditional permanent employment. Gig workers often earn income through temporary work that may be arranged on an online platform or an app.[1] Unlike traditional employees, while gig workers typically have greater flexibility in their schedules, they also often have low and unpredictable wages, they are given little to no notice for loss of work, and they do not ty ..read more

The STAND Foundation The STAND foundation was founded in 2008 to make a difference in young people’s lives by giving them financial assistance to access education and skills training. Since 2008, STAND has raised $935,000 and distributed over $450,000 in pre-employment certificates and scholarships to 950 students in the Greater Vancouver area. Thanks to partnerships with the Vancouver, Surrey and New Westminster School Boards, they have helped youth facing financial and social challenges by giving them an opportunity to acquire new skills, get an entry level job and start earning a living ..read more

Segev LLP's Ron Segev Guests on The iGaming Show In case you missed out on the latest episode of The iGaming Show presented by Paramount Commerce, Ron Segev talks about the importance of iGaming and sports betting regulations and more! With more regulated gaming markets opening up internationally, it is more crucial than ever to understand the significance of online gaming regulations. Check out the recording by clicking the link below! We thoroughly enjoy taking part in the The iGaming Show! If you would like one of our lawyers to speak at upcoming panels, podcasts or live events we wo ..read more