Politically Exposed Person / Head of International Organization
A Politically Exposed Person (PEP) can be either Foreign or Domestic.
A domestic PEP means a person who, at a given time, holds — or has held within the last 5 years — one of the offices or positions below, in or on behalf of the federal or a provincial government:
- Governor General, lieutenant governor or head of government;
- Member of the Senate or House of Commons or member of the legislature of a province;
- Deputy minister or equivalent rank;
- Ambassador, or attaché or counsellor of an ambassador;
- Military officer with a rank of general or above;
- President of a Canadian or Provincial Crown Corporation;
- Head of a government agency;
- Judge of an appellate court in a province, the Federal Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court of Canada;
- Leader or president of a political party represented in a legislature; or
- Mayor, reeve or other similar chief officer of a municipal or local government.
A foreign PEP is a person who holds, or has held, one of the following offices or positions in or on behalf of a foreign state:
- Head of state or head of government;
- Member of the executive council of government or member of a legislature;
- Deputy minister or equivalent rank;
- Ambassador, or attaché or counsellor of an ambassador;
- Military officer with a rank of general or above;
- President of a state-owned company or a state-owned bank;
- Head of a government agency;
- Judge of a supreme court, constitutional court or other court of last resort; or
- Leader or president of a political party represented in a legislature.
The head of an international organization is a person who is either:
- the head of an international organization that is established by the governments of states;
- the head of an institution established by an international organization (that is established by the governments of states);
- the head of an international sports organization.
FINTRAC regulations require Casinos (including Internet Casinos) to take reasonable measures to determine if they are dealing with a PEP/HIO or the family or close associate of a PEP/HIO. Only those who are classified as a PEP or HIO are required to fill in the additional information.
You are considered a family member to a PEP / HIO if you are:
- their spouse or common-law partner;
- their biological or adoptive child(ren);
- their mother(s) or father(s);
- the mother(s) or father(s) of their spouse or common-law partner (mother-in-law or father-in-law); and
- the child(ren) of their mother or father (sibling(s)).
NOTE: you may be sent an email from our accounts team asking for more specific details.
You are considered a close associate to a PEP / HIO if you are:
- a business partner of, or beneficially own or control a business with, a PEP/HIO;
- in a romantic relationship with a PEP/HIO;
- involved in financial transactions with a PEP/HIO;
- serve as prominent member of the same political party or union as a PEP/HIO;
- serve as a member of the same board as a PEP/HIO;
- carry out charitable work closely with a PEP/HIO;
- are listed as joint on a policy where one of the holders may be a PEP/HIO.
NOTE: you may be sent an email from our accounts team asking for more specific details.
The source of funds refers to the origin of the funds used. Examples of sources of wealth include inheritances, investments, business ownership interests, employment income.
Source of Wealth refers to a person’s accumulated volume of wealth. Examples of sources of funds include personal savings, pension releases, share sales and dividends, property sales, gambling winnings, inheritances and gifts, compensation from legal rulings.