Why do Ontario online casinos ask me to use the same method for withdrawals as I used for deposits?

The short answer: it's about anti-money laundering compliance, and it's not arbitrary. Every registered Ontario online casino operates under a framework that requires them to trace money in and out along a verifiable path — and routing your withdrawal back to the same payment method you deposited with is the clearest way to do that.

The regulatory picture behind the rule

The AGCO registers and regulates Ontario's online gambling sites and sets standards designed to protect players, ensure game integrity, and — critically — put anti-money laundering protections in place. Those standards aren't suggestions; being a fully registered and authorized operator in Ontario's iGaming market means the organization has met rigorous standards of game integrity, fairness, player protections, and social responsibility. Operators have entered legal agreements ensuring compliance with applicable laws, including anti-money laundering.

On top of that, iGaming Ontario develops and oversees its own anti-money laundering program and policies, and implements responsible gambling requirements for operators. Casinos are also designated reporting entities under federal law, meaning they answer to FINTRAC — Canada's financial intelligence unit — and must report certain transactions and flag suspicious activity.

Why "same method" matters for AML

The core problem that "return to source" rules are designed to solve is a classic money laundering typology: deposit dirty money using one payment channel, run it through some gambling activity to obscure its origin, then withdraw it via a different channel so it re-enters the financial system looking like gambling winnings. Online gambling sites can offer prospective money launderers opportunities to conceal the source of their funds by using multiple different deposit and withdrawal methods — for example, a commonly observed typology involved the purchase of prepaid cards using suspected proceeds of crime to fund gambling accounts, followed by withdrawals through wire or e-transfer to a bank account under the guise of gambling winnings.

Requiring the withdrawal to go back to the same verified account or card closes that loop. The money can only exit through the same door it entered, which means it returns to an account that has already been linked to your verified identity. AGCO standards require that before a withdrawal is permitted, it must be verified that the withdrawal is being transferred to an account of which the player is a legal holder. Matching the withdrawal method to the deposit method is a straightforward way for operators to satisfy that requirement.

FINTRAC's own analysis of suspicious online gambling activity also flags the use of mismatched payment channels as a red flag. A client appearing to make multiple below-threshold deposits or withdrawals from the same or multiple gaming sites to avoid reporting thresholds is a recognized indicator of suspicious behaviour — and routing funds through different methods is a related tactic regulators watch for.

What this means practically for you

If you deposited via Interac e-Transfer, expect your withdrawal to go back to your bank account through the same channel. If you used a Visa debit card, the refund typically goes back to that card first, up to the deposited amount, with any remainder sent via another verified method. The exact sequencing varies by operator — AGCO standards require that players be provided with unambiguous information about all player account fees prior to making a withdrawal or deposit, and be informed clearly and specifically of all rules and restrictions regarding deposits and withdrawals. So if you're unsure about a specific site's policy, the operator is required to tell you plainly before you transact.

One practical note: if you've closed a bank account or a card has expired since you last deposited, contact the operator's support team before requesting a withdrawal. Most regulated sites have a process for handling this — they'll typically require additional identity verification before routing funds elsewhere, again as part of their AML obligations.

If you ever have a concern about how a regulated Ontario site is handling your funds or withdrawal requests, the AGCO has a complaints process, and iGaming Ontario operates a dispute resolution pathway for players. You can verify that a site is genuinely part of Ontario's regulated market by looking for both the iGaming Ontario logo and the BetGuard logo on the site. If gambling is causing stress or financial difficulty, ConnexOntario is available around the clock at 1-866-531-2600.