Tooniebet Entered Canada without a Proper Licence!

Tooniebet and the Canadian Licensing Question

Tooniebet’s Canadian licensing position should be tested against the operator’s stated authorisation, the relevant provincial framework and the evidence behind any claim of lawful operation. This investigation distinguishes a licence from a commercial association or jurisdictional reference. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation and Malta Media’s related licensing analysis provide context.

Let us begin with the basics. Tooniebet .ca, as advertised and licensed in Ontario, is operated by Canadix Limited, a Malta-based company with a local AGCO registration under licence number OPIG1280338. This Ontario-facing platform is formally regulated by iGaming Ontario and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). Users accessing this domain while physically located in Ontario will encounter the appropriate disclaimers and licensing credentials.

However, this stands in sharp contrast to the version of the brand accessible outside Ontario: Tooniebet .com.

That site, as per the official footer, is owned and operated by Tobix Limited, a company registered in the Isle of Man. Its listed gaming licence is issued not by any Canadian authority, but by the Tobique Gaming Commission, a body affiliated with the Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick that is not recognised under Canadian federal or provincial gambling laws.

This effectively means that Tooniebet is operating in British Columbia without a valid licence, bypassing both the B.C. Lottery Corporation (BCLC) and the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB), which are the only legal authorities permitted to authorise online gambling in the province.

Whether intentional or not, this structure appears to allow Soft2Bet (Tooniebet’s parent company) to target Canadian users outside Ontario through an offshore setup that exploits a regulatory blind spot.

The Legacy of Blacklists

Soft2Bet’s licensing inconsistencies are not without precedent. The company has a well-documented history of operating casinos on the grey and black markets, particularly in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. Investigative reports have linked Soft2Bet to more than 100 casino brands, several of which have appeared on national regulatory blacklists, including in Sweden and the Netherlands.

Although Soft2Bet now touts its success in Ontario as evidence of regulatory credibility, that same brand portfolio (just under different URLs) is still accessible via Tobique licence. The gaming industry calls this “jurisdictional shopping.” Regulators might call it something else.

Sponsoring without Scrutiny?

Adding further discomfort to this story is Tooniebet’s prominent partnership with the Ottawa Senators NHL team. While such collaborations are increasingly common in the gambling space, one would hope that a professional sports franchise would conduct a reasonable level of due diligence on its corporate sponsors, particularly those operating in a legally sensitive industry.

Yet, nowhere in the official press release announcing the partnership is there mention of the brand’s dual structure, its offshore presence or its Tobique licensing model. If public sporting entities like the Senators are prepared to lend their reputational capital to gambling operators, they must also share the responsibility of vetting the financial and legal legitimacy of those brands. The source of funds, the true scope of operations and the risk of regulatory arbitrage cannot simply be brushed aside in the name of “fan engagement.”

Expansion with Familiar Tactics?

Soft2Bet is now preparing its entry into the U.S. market, beginning with New Jersey. According to public statements by their Chief Business Development Officer, the group aims to build on its Ontario model while rolling out its trademark MEGA gamification product, a tool they claim increases screen time by 400% and average revenue per user by 45%.

What is omitted from this upbeat narrative is whether Soft2Bet will again operate dual-domain models in the U.S., offering one licensed version under strict state regulation and another more loosely regulated version offshore. If Ontario and British Columbia are anything to go by, jurisdictional layering may not be a temporary strategy, but a core feature of their expansion model.

A Regulatory Grey Area or a Policy Failure?

Soft2Bet’s handling of the Tooniebet brand may not yet have triggered formal sanctions, but that does not mean it is immune to scrutiny. When a company presents one version of its brand to regulators and another to the general public, the integrity of licensing systems is inevitably brought into question.

For Canadian provinces outside Ontario (especially British Columbia) the time may have come to reassert control over who is allowed to operate, where and under what legal basis. At a minimum, the visibility of .com domains hosted offshore should trigger automatic review by provincial authorities.

And as Soft2Bet prepares to showcase its success at the Canadian Gaming Summit this June, perhaps it’s time for industry stakeholders to ask not just what makes a platform engaging, but whether it is legally entitled to operate in the first place.

FAQs

What is Tooniebet.ca and who operates it?
Tooniebet.ca is an online gambling platform licensed in Ontario, operated by Canadix Limited, a Malta-based company registered with the AGCO and iGaming Ontario.

What is Tooniebet.com and how does it differ from Tooniebet.ca?
Tooniebet.com is the international version of the brand, operated by Tobix Limited under a Tobique Gaming Commission licence, which is not recognized by Canadian federal or provincial authorities.

Is Tooniebet.com legal in British Columbia or other Canadian provinces outside Ontario?
No, Tooniebet.com is not licensed by provincial authorities like the BCLC or GPEB, making its operations outside Ontario unauthorized under Canadian law.

What is the Tobique Gaming Commission and is it a legal regulator in Canada?
The Tobique Gaming Commission is affiliated with the Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick but is not recognized as a legal regulatory authority under Canadian provincial or federal gambling laws.

Who is Soft2Bet and how are they connected to Tooniebet?
Soft2Bet is the parent company behind Tooniebet and has a history of operating gambling brands in grey and black markets across Europe.

Has Soft2Bet been previously flagged by regulators?
Yes, several Soft2Bet-operated brands have appeared on regulatory blacklists in countries like Sweden and the Netherlands due to licensing violations.

What is jurisdictional shopping in the gambling industry?
Jurisdictional shopping refers to the practice of operating under different regulatory regimes to avoid stricter licensing conditions or oversight, often exploiting legal loopholes.

What concerns have arisen around Tooniebet’s partnership with the Ottawa Senators?
Critics argue that the Senators may have failed to conduct adequate due diligence on Tooniebet's licensing structure, potentially legitimizing a brand with offshore operations.

Is Soft2Bet planning to expand into the United States?
Yes, Soft2Bet has announced plans to enter the U.S. market, starting with New Jersey, potentially using similar dual-domain strategies.

What can Canadian regulators do to address such licensing loopholes?
Regulators could enhance scrutiny of offshore domains and enforce stricter controls on who can operate legally in each province, especially where grey-market activities are evident.