Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan (LGS)  is warning provincial residents not to click on social media adverts for online casinos, citing fears of scammers using fake ads to steal people’s credit card numbers and other financial information.

The warning from the province’s gaming regulator comes amid wider fears of fraudulent marketing masquerading as legal and licensed online casinos across Canada.

“If you see a Facebook or other social media ad for an online version of Dakota Dunes Casino, Casino Regina or any other land-based casino in Saskatchewan, don’t click on it,” reads a public notice from LGS.

LGS Vice President of Gaming Steve Tunison emphasized that none of Saskatchewan’s land-based casinos have a legitimate online version.

“People who see these types of ads on their social media channels are strongly advised not to click on them,” added Tunison. “Saskatchewan people who wish to gamble online can do so safely and securely on PlayNow.com, which is the only legal online gaming platform in our province.

“Scam ads are an ongoing issue for land-based casinos across North America, including Casinos Regina and Moose Jaw and casinos operated by the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA). The scammers illegally use the logos, images, and branding of these casinos, stolen from the casinos’ websites, to create the fake ads.”

Other provinces seeing similar issues

The LGS warning comes two weeks after reports that fraudulent ads used altered news footage and the name of Alberta’s River Cree Resort & Casino to try to attract clicks.

Alberta RMCP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff warned that the issue is believed to be widespread and likely targets other casinos. Scam ads have also been reporting to be targeting players in Manitoba, Québec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Last year, both Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries (MBLL) and Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis (AGLC) warned players about social media ads implying that land-based venues are offering iGaming.

Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) President Paul Burns wrote on LinkedIn as far back as last spring that “virtually every land-based casino brand in the country has had its brand highjacked to promote fraudulent online sites in the past several months.”

Major Canadian casino operator Great Canadian Entertainment keeps a list on its website of known fraudulent advertising attempts concerning its properties across Canada, and notes at least five different Great Canadian casinos have been targeted since the start of 2025.