Canadian Players Blocked from Rival Gaming Powered Casinos

January 29, 2009 | News Category: Casino Software

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Rival Gaming, ironically based in Canada, have announced that they are blocking Canadian players from playing in all Rival Gaming powered online casinos. Rival Gaming is one of the newer web-based gaming software licensing companies, who provide operating software to a number of online casinos. Canadian online gamblers were shocked when the news broke this week.

Rival Gaming sent out e-mails this week explaining to their licensees that they will need to take the necessary steps to stop accepting Canadian players at their online casinos. They noted that the cessation must begin by 1st February 2009. Part of the functionality of Rival Gaming's software is that it has the ability to enable individual operators to manage requests such as this one. The software makes it easy for online casinos to effectively block specific jurisdictions from being able to play in their casinos.

Rival Gaming's website, rivalpowered.com, note that "Rival has made this decision in order to protect its ability to continue offering a high quality and innovative product for use by operators and their members." What Rival Gaming does not mention is that the likely reason for this cessation is connected to a breach of contract between T2 Marketing, a Montreal-based marketing company, and Rival Gaming. While the alleged breach occurred in 2006, the law suit was filed in December of 2008. It seems that Rival Gaming and their online casinos may not be implicated, but the decision of the courts will only be made later in 2009.

Other rumors claim that Rival Gaming's investors told them to pull the plug on their Canadian projects, including doing any business with Canadian players. Rival Gaming in order to act on these requests have passed on the directive to the Rival Gaming powered casinos to cease accepting Canadian players and to end their relationships with existing Canadian players.

According to their website, Rival Gaming's instructions to their licensees require that Canadian players cease to be accepted at their online casinos from 1st February 2009. All existing Canadian account holders will still be able to withdraw their current balances until 31st March 2009, using all the regular methods available to them. From 31st March and onwards, Canadian account holders will still be able to withdraw their funds, however, after this date, they will have to contact the casinos via customer support channels in order to withdraw their funds as they will no longer be able to login to their blocked accounts.

North American online casino players seem to have constant issues when trying to play at online casinos. It should be noted that this directive has no connection with United States players who may continue playing in Rival Gaming powered casinos as before. New US players may still sign up with Rival Gaming casinos.