GeoComply blocks 9,000+ platform access attempts in Ontario ahead of Super Bowl LVII
Geolocation provider GeoComply denied more than 9,000 outside attempts to access its platforms in Ontario in the build up to Super Bowl LVII.
That’s according to John Pappas, Senior Vice President of Government and Public Affairs at Vancouver-based GeoComply, speaking on the latest episode of the Gaming News Canada Show.
Pappas detailed how popular sporting events – such as last week’s Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs – lead to a rise in external interference in the Canadian province, in contravention of the regulations set by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
“It’s a growing concern [cybersecurity], cyber fraud is growing across all e-commerce platforms, betting is no different,” he said. “Any time you have a lot of money exchanging, that’s a time where fraudsters really look to take advantage, and the Super Bowl is a great example of that.
“We stopped over 9,000 attempts at people accessing the platforms in Ontario. We stopped nearly 3,000 cases of proxy betting, and the list goes on as to other areas we were able to detect and stop on behalf of our clients, and we know that [events] like the Super Bowl are going to bring out the fraudsters who try to take advantage, so we always have to be on high alert to ensure our customers are fully protected.”
The majority of attempts came from the US, with suggestions that underage American gamblers (under 21) were hoping to place their same game parlays in Ontario, where the legal betting age is 19.
Attempts were also registered in other continents, though, such as Europe, where residents in countries including Ireland, Germany and Latvia were registered as having attempted access.
Pappas added: “As part of the regulatory mandate, GeoComply is constantly combatting attempts from around the globe to access our customers’ platforms in Ontario.
“Our anti-fraud systems were optimized well in advance of the Big Game, not just in the US where the Super Bowl is the most popular sporting event of the year, but for our Canadian customers as well.”