Suspicious Activity Report (SAR)

A suspicious activity report, or SAR, is a confidential disclosure that a licensed gambling operator files with its national financial intelligence unit when it has grounds to suspect that funds passing through an account may be linked to money laundering or other crime. Anti-money-laundering law generally makes the report mandatory once suspicion is formed; the operator does not need proof. Typical prompts include deposits that do not fit the customer's declared profile, minimal play followed by an immediate withdrawal request, or third-party payment sources. Crucially, the player is not told a report has been made — warning the subject is known as tipping off and is itself an offence in many jurisdictions. Accounts may be restricted or closed while the matter is assessed, and outcomes are decided by the authorities, not the operator.