The​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ expansion of legalized sports betting worldwide has resulted in sportsbooks grappling with a problem that they can no longer overlook: the increase in underage individuals using counterfeit identification to place bets. As more and more ways to bet through mobile apps and online sign-ups emerge, minors who are set on their goal are inventing ways to get around age limits. The emergence of this trend is a breach of the law and morality; however, it is also an enormous problem that threatens the very existence of the platforms, which are forced to rigorously obey the regulations ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌.

Why Fake IDs Are Becoming More Sophisticated

Conventional​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ fakes used to be quite simple to recognize—low-quality printing, different fonts for the text, and inconsistent holograms would make them not very reliable for any kind of verification. But counterfeit documents have changed significantly over time. Nowadays, fakes are made better with the help of printing technology and software, and they can even copy barcodes and other scannable features, so their IDs look almost real.

This fact complicates things significantly for sportsbooks, especially those operating online. Most of the time, automated identity verification systems capture a user’s photo and perform basic data matching. In cases where a very good fake ID is used by a teenager who looks older, some systems cannot recognize the trick. Therefore, young bettors have found ways to be able to place wagers through these ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌loopholes.

The Influence of Social Pressure and Online Culture

Social​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ media is a major factor in the increase in risky behavior that minors are engaging in. On various platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit, teenagers come across betting slips, parlay wins, and big-payout screenshots that are shared, most probably, by other users. The glamorization of sports betting is leading young people to copy the behavior of influencers, older friends, or even celebrities, as they think that it is the right thing to do.

The competitiveness usually associated with sports is one of the reasons some minors decide to bet on sports. For many, betting becomes another way to engage as a fan—by predicting outcomes, challenging friends, and experiencing the same excitement that adult fans enjoy. Unfortunately, only a small number of minors fully understand the financial risks involved, making them more vulnerable to developing harmful patterns that could continue into adulthood. This is why choosing the most responsible sportsbook, which you can discover more here, is essential. Such platforms provide guidance, enforce safe practices, and ensure regulated play, allowing fans to engage with sports betting in a more informed, secure, and controlled manner.

Sportsbooks Facing Regulatory Pressure

The​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ sportsbooks are being given the task of more closely monitoring and preventing minors from betting on their platforms. If they fail, harsh penalties are possible, including severe fines, loss of a gambling license, and negative publicity that undermines a brand’s trustworthiness. As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to verify their identities, although this also inconveniences those who are, in fact, legitimate users.

Sportsbooks have to decide between two options that are in conflict with each other: on the one hand, they have to keep the registration process as simple as possible, and on the other hand, they have to carry out age verification in a very thorough manner. The work of balancing is tough, and the underage gamblers are trying all methods to find a way ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌out.

The Rise of Identity Fraud Services

An alarming trend is the emergence of online vendors who openly advertise fake IDs and identity documents. These vendors often claim their products can pass standard sportsbook checks. Some even tailor IDs to specific regions, knowing that certain provinces, states, or countries use verification systems that rely heavily on image comparison rather than live validation.

The availability of these fraudulent services not only empowers minors but also exposes sportsbooks to risks related to stolen identities, money laundering flags, and fraudulent accounts that may later become legal liabilities.

The Consequences for Underage Bettors

While​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ a minor might think that gambling is just a bit of fun without any harm, the outcome can be quite serious. If there is a catching, accounts are closed right away, winnings are confiscated, and parents or guardians, in some cases, are made legally liable for any financial disagreements. Besides that, the risk of developing a gambling problem in the future increases with early exposure to gambling, especially since teenagers are more impulsive and less capable of handling financial risks.

The majority of minors are not aware that sportsbooks keep very detailed records of their activities, including device information and IP addresses. In case a fake ID works one time, using it multiple times will definitely lead to getting ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌caught.

A Growing Problem That Requires Joint Action

Fake​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ IDs and underage betting are issues that have become a major challenge in the industry, and no single stakeholder can solve these problems on their own. Sportsbooks need to enhance their identity verifications, regulators should get prepared for new types of fraud, technology providers have to come up with new solutions more quickly, and parents should always be aware of what their children are doing online. The industry’s rapid development is making this problem more and more urgent because the number of minors trying to get around the safety measures is increasing.

Sports betting can serve as a fun and legal form of entertainment for adults, but the need to protect the youth is what defines the industry and ensures its survival in the long run. As the quality of fake IDs keeps improving and the online culture is more and more inclined to consider betting as a normal activity, sportsbooks must ensure that underage users do not have access and that the environment is safe for all users. They need to do this now more than ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ever.

Canada’s​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ fan engagement with sports has been radically changed by the recent single-event legalized sports betting. In the past, this was something you could only do through offshore sites or informal pools, but now it has become a normal part of the Canadian sports culture, according to GamblingNews.com. Online sportsbooks are being established at the provincial level, and private operators are entering the regulated markets, so Canadians are discovering new means to entertain, grasp, and make correct decisions in sports ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌betting.

Widespread Adoption Across Provinces

The implementation of legal sports betting has varied across Canada’s provinces, but uptake has been strong in all jurisdictions. With its liberal licensing regime, Ontario has emerged as the most lively market in the country, thus enabling a multitude of private sportsbooks to compete. In the rest of the provinces, there are mostly platform operators controlled by the government; however, users are still in a state of rapid adjustment to the broadened offerings and new ways of wagering. As accessibility gets better, Canadians are becoming more aware of the distinctions between markets, bonuses, and betting styles, which makes the transition seem more like a logical continuation of their current sports ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌habits.

Increased Engagement with Sports and Data

Legal​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ betting has had an influence on how sports are consumed by a lot of Canadians. Fans are following gambling news, analyzing games in detail, checking lines more carefully, following injuries, and using statistics to make the best decision. The game-day experience has been expanded by betting, which has thus motivated fans to retain basic team loyalty. The rise of data-driven content, such as odds breakdowns, predictive analytics, and expert commentary, has been instrumental in making sports more interactive. Rather than being a passive viewer, a Canadian is now engaging more with the numbers, trends, and probabilities, thereby deepening his/her understanding of the games.

Growth of Responsible Gambling Education

As​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ betting gets more and more exposure, a conversation about safe play is also getting louder. Gambling organizations in Canada have put in place a variety of measures and have devoted a lot of resources to making gambling more responsible and safer. Users have changed their behavior as well; they are now more aware of tools such as deposit limits, time monitoring, self-exclusion programs, and reality checks. Different provinces put a lot of effort into education first, thus helping bettors notice the signs of risky behaviour and learn how to stay within healthy boundaries. This cultural change is contributing to the normalization of responsible gambling practices instead of being treated as a mere ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌intervention.

The Social Element of Modern Betting

Since​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ the legalization of sports betting in Canada, it has become much more of a social activity. People in their friend circles now talk about their bets, share parlays, and watch matches together, thus creating a new level of fun. Social media is very much involved in it as bettors post their predictions, celebrate their wins, or explain their unfortunate outcomes. There are more and more online communities dedicated to betting discussions, where people find wagering as a mutually enjoyable pastime rather than a lonely one. The feeling of togetherness is what makes Canadians use betting as a part of their sports routine in a joyful and engaging ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌manner.

Adapting to the Variety of Betting Options

With​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ the legalization of sports betting in Canada, there are now more options available that go beyond the typical single-game bets. Live betting, player props, same-game parlays, and futures markets have all become elements of the modern betting landscape. Such a variety demands the adaptation of the bettors, and a considerable number of them are figuring out the operating principles of each type, the value of the times when they offer, and the manner in which odds change dynamically. In addition, bettors are becoming acquainted with such concepts as payout volatility, implied probability, and risk management. The learning curve is definitely there, but it has also resulted in a richer and more strategic betting ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌experience.

Integration of Betting in Sports Media

Wide​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ channels and sports networks in Canada have been very much on board with the advent of the betting boom. Playouts of betting lines are part of the pre-game shows, analysts are using betting language patently to highlight something on the field, and treat the sports betting companies as a partner to a team or a league for branded content. Canadians are warming up to the reality where the provision of betting information is just a normal part of their sports coverage. The change is considerable, and it can be seen as a transitory moment when betting moved from being a small niche topic to becoming a standard element of sports ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌entertainment.

A Growing but Responsible Cultural Shift

Canadians,​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ in the wake of legalization, see sports betting as one natural way to extend their love for sports while recognizing the necessity of self-control. Thanks to enhanced access, better education, and more transparent platforms, the whole betting experience has become safer, more enjoyable, and more a part of the daily sports culture. Canadians, as the market expands, are creating a scenario where gambling becomes a tool for deepening their connection with sports rather than a source of ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌anxiety.

Review by BERNIE BELLAN As the former publisher of The Jewish Post & News, but still publisher of a popular website – jewishpostandnews.ca, I’ve long been inundated with requests to review books.

I tend to ignore almost all those requests – simply because I don’t have other reviewers available who are willing to review books – unlike years past when there were a few different individuals who would be willing to review books for the paper, so it falls on me to do all the reviewing.

Something else that’s happened more and more often in recent years is that authors become their own publicists and can be quite good at drawing attention to their books.

So it was that when I was contacted a month ago by a writer by the name of Amelia Doyle, who asked me whether I’d be interested in reading a book she’d written titled “Two Weeks in Toronto,” the name of that book was familiar to me as Amelia had contacted me last year to ask me whether I’d like to review her book back then.

I did take her up on her offer at that time – and began to read “Two Weeks in Toronto” but, if truth, be told, I lost interest in it. The book had some major flaws – and as romantic fiction I thought it lacked any real spark.

But, when Amelia contacted me again, this time her email noted that the book was a finalist in something called the Canadian Book Club Awards.

Really? I thought. Maybe I was too quick to put that book down – or to turn off my Kindle – as the case may be.

So, I began to read “Two Weeks in Toronto” all over again – with a promise to myself to finish it this time.

I should also add that of the many emails I’ve been receiving in recent years, many have been either from publicists for books or from the authors themselves, and many of the books I’ve been asked to review have been self-published.

It’s not all that difficult to publish a book nowadays and, in fact, many self-published books that I have read have been quite good.

In the case of “Two Weeks in Toronto,” after opening the book again many months after I had first taken a look at it though, I saw that it was published by something called “BRINKLEY Verlag.” I did some research on BRINKLEY Verlag and saw that it’s an Austrian publishing house, but with no information on its website whether it simply publishes books for a fee or whether it actually accepts manuscripts and publishes them without charging the author.

Also, on the title page of “Two Weeks in Toronto,” it says that the book was edited by someone by the name of Kelly McErlean.

Okay – the book had been published by some sort of publishing house and apparently, it had also been edited. I regarded both those things as pluses.

One more thing: I did do some research on Amelia Doyle and saw that she has authored at least a couple of other books: “A Dublin Love Story” and “The Rabbi’s Wife,” so she must have had at least some practice writing novels, I thought. By the way, if you Google Amelia Doyle and see what books she’s written, you can see they’re all described as “sweet romance.”

What does this have to do with my reviewing the book? you must be wondering.

Well, I’ve been in correspondence with Amelia Doyle and she seems such a nice person that I told myself I have to find something good to say about “Two Weeks in Toronto.”

But honestly, I tend to look at the novels my wife likes to read for guidance as to what women like when it comes to romance and many of the titles I see have a mystery element to them – or some rip roaring sex!

Here’s what AI says when you ask it what kind of romance novels women like to read: “Most women enjoy diverse romance novels, from steamy contemporary/spicy reads and funny rom-coms (like Emily Henry) to emotional historical sagas (like Outlander) or ‘romantasy,’ but popular choices often feature strong emotional connection, relatable characters, satisfying happily ever afters’ (HEA), and tropes like enemies-to-lovers or billionaire romance, with recent trends favoring diverse voices and escapism.”

So where does “Two Weeks in Toronto” fit into any of those descriptions, if any?

Well, it does have a romance at the centre of it, but the romance is so predictable that it hardly whets the appetite.

What it does have though, and which might make it of particular interest to Jewish readers, is a female Jewish protagonist by the name of Ciara Walsh. (Ciara, I had to look up, is an Irish name, and is pronounced Kee-ara. What a nice name!)

The person with whom you just know from the outset Ciara is going to fall in love is her dreamy Irish dentist, Ethan O’Leary, tall and blue-eyed – and strange as it may seem: unattached.

At a certain point we find out that Ciara is Jewish – when Ethan comments on the mezuzah on her door, but as to how Jewish she is – well, that was something I began to wonder about as the book went on.

Now, it’s important to note that the book is set right around Christmas – and Chanukah, and the juxtaposition of those two holidays enters into the plot time and time again. There seemed to be so little distinction between the atmosphere pervading both holidays – wintertime, gift giving, family get-togethers, that I wondered whether Amelia Doyle might not be Jewish, but was trying to attract a Jewish audience by injecting some Jewish notes into her book – so I asked her this question: “Are you Jewish in any way, e.g., have some Jewish family?”

Amelia answered: I’m halachically Jewish. “Both my parents come from observant Jewish families and I grew up in a Conservative home. 

“Generally speaking, you can find anything from ultra-orthodox to atheist Jews in my family. As you can imagine, living in Europe is not easy as a Jewish person.  (I should note that, after further researching Amelia, I discovered that she lives in Dublin.)

“The characters in ‘Two Weeks in Toronto’ were written on purpose in a matter that is more on the liberal side as many of my friends are Reform or in interfaith marriages. This is where the inspiration for this specific book came from.”

In the same email in which I asked Amelia whether she was indeed Jewish, I also noted that I thought the way she intermingled Christmas and Chanukah was deliberately intended to “resonate” with non-Jewish readers.

Amelia responded: “I’m Jewish and there are many ways of practicing Judaism. In this book I decided to write about a non-orthodox Jewish family.”

A “non-orthodox Jewish family?” There’s not much Jewish about them, other than the fact that Ciara’s father, Ian, decided to convert to Judaism when he was younger – for reasons that are totally unexplained. Ciara’s mother, Giuliana (which, apparently, is the Italian spelling for Juliana), is definitely not Jewish, although she doesn’t seem to have much religious orientation either way.

But, let’s not get lost in what is, in essence, a discussion totally irrelevant to this book.

My qualms with “Two Weeks in Toronto” have to do with the writing style – which could have used some good editing. I mentioned that in an email to the author when I was just getting into the book. I suggested that the dialogue could have been much improved had the characters used contractions when speaking, so that for instance, instead of a character saying “I am just stepping out” they could have said, “I’m just stepping out” – which sounds so much more authentic.

Another aspect of this book that drove me crazy is there no explanation for the behaviour of Ciara’s mother, Giuliana, or her sister, Gabriella. Cinderella’s stepmother comes across as kindly compared to Giuliana and, as for Gabriella, who is occasionally referred to as “Bridezilla” by others, well – to use the Cinderella comparison again, she is beyond detestable.

But why? What on earth could sweet, loving Ciara ever have done to provoke such unbridled hatred from her mother and sister? I kept waiting to read an answer – you know, like Ciara was so beautiful that her sister despised her or Giuliana was her stepmother – but no, it’s never explained.

And then there’s Ciara’s relationship with Ethan. Yes, it’s cute how they end up going to Toronto together – to attend Gabriella’s wedding, and they end up sleeping in the same bed together – but without having sex!

So, again, I had to ask Amelia why that was? Here’s what she answered: “In my opinion, most romance books these days are far too explicit. ‘Sweet Romances’ (also known as ‘Clean Romance’) are on the rise again at the moment and this is what my publisher asked me to write.

“Personally, I prefer to have the focus on the relationship and not any sexual relations.

“Not sure about how it is in Canada, but many publishers in Europe as well as the US started publishing ‘clean’ versions of steamier books, not to alienate readers who don’t want to read sexually explicit scenes.”

I’m shattered! “Clean romances” are “on the rise again?” (There’s almost a phallic pun in there, but we won’t go there.)

But hey, it’s almost Chanukah – and Christmas. “Two Weeks in Toronto” is set right around this time of year, so maybe this review is timely. As it’s referred to in the book, this is a book that might make a good read for “Chrismuakkah.”

“Two Weeks in Toronto”

By Amelia Doyle

Published by BRINKLY Vertag, 2024

179 pages

Available on Amazon