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A new National Post report is drawing attention to concerns around underage online gambling in Ontario. The report highlights how some minors are accessing betting accounts with their parents willingly providing access, raising questions about what can be done to slow down this growing problem.
The National Post report includes examples of Ontario parents knowingly helping their teenage children access online betting accounts.
In some cases, parents reportedly allowed minors to use their identification or created accounts on their behalf after repeated requests. Other parents later became concerned after seeing how frequently their children were betting and chose to cut off access.
The examples highlight a difficult challenge for age-verification systems. Even when sportsbooks successfully confirm that an account belongs to an adult, those safeguards can be undermined when a parent willingly provides access to their account to a minor.
The examples of parents willingly giving teenagers access to betting accounts highlight the limits of relying on a one-time identity check at registration. Even when an operator correctly verifies that an account belongs to someone over the legal gambling age, that does not guarantee the verified person is actually the one using it.
That puts more emphasis on enhanced age-verification measures after an account is created. Operators could use additional identity checks, device monitoring, account-behaviour reviews, and re-verification when activity raises concerns about who is actually placing wagers.
Ontario has already taken enforcement action over failures in this area. Earlier in 2026, the AGCO issued a $120,000 penalty against Betty Gaming after underage individuals were able to create and fund accounts. The regulator said the operator failed to consistently apply required identity and age-verification safeguards.
Cases involving parents willingly sharing access present a different challenge, but they reinforce the same broader issue. Keeping minors off gambling platforms may require operators to also verify whether that person continues to be the one using it through additional checks.
The issue also highlights the need for more education aimed directly at parents. Age-verification technology can only go so far if an adult willingly creates an account for a minor or shares access to an existing one.
That makes deterrence and awareness important parts of preventing underage gambling. Parents need to better understand the potential risks associated with exposing teenagers to sports betting at a young age. This includes the possibility of a minor developing unhealthy gambling habits before they are legally permitted to wager.
Regulators, sportsbooks, schools, and responsible gambling organizations could place more emphasis on campaigns that explain why allowing minors to gamble is dangerous. They can outline the potential consequences of providing account access.
Stronger messaging aimed at parents could complement enhanced age-verification measures by addressing the issue of a verified adult knowingly allowing a minor to use their account, which is one of the more difficult problems for operators to detect.
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