eCheck Casinos Canada 2026: How the Payment Method Actually Works

eCheck casino deposits still exist in 2026, though they barely get the same attention as crypto or Interac. The method is old-fashioned. That is not a flaw. For Canadian players who prefer a direct link between their bank account and a casino cashier, eCheck remains one of the quietest, most predictable ways to move money. No digital wallet in the middle. No card flags. Just an ACH-style transfer that clears in a few business days.

This guide pulls apart how eCheck works at online casinos in Canada, where it still appears, what it costs, and where it falls short. You will also see which casino brands consistently list eCheck among their cashier options, and which provinces make that easier than others.

What an eCheck Casino Actually Is

An eCheck casino is any online casino that accepts electronic cheques as a deposit or withdrawal method. The term sounds high-tech. In practice, it describes a casino cashier connected to an automated clearing house network. When you deposit, the casino requests an electronic transfer from your bank account. The bank verifies the account and routing numbers, then moves the funds.

That process can take three to five business days for a standard deposit. Some operators offer instant or same-day clearing through a payment processor such as VIP Preferred or eChecks. Those are exceptions. Most eCheck deposits still follow the old rhythm of interbank settlement. If you need to play within the next ten minutes, eCheck is the wrong tool. If you want a bank-tethered deposit without handing a casino your card number, it fits.

Canadian banks process eCheck differently than American banks in one key way. The underlying infrastructure is the Canadian Payments Association’s EFT system, not the US Federal Reserve ACH. For the player, that difference is invisible. For casino operators, it changes settlement schedules and occasionally causes a rejected transaction when a credit union routes through a smaller clearing partner.

What counts as an eCheck varies by casino. Some sites label any bank-based transfer as an eCheck. Others reserve the term for transactions processed through a third-party cheque provider. The label matters less than the settlement time. If a casino calls a deposit “instant eCheck,” it usually means the operator is fronting the money before the bank transfer settles. That is a credit decision, not a speed-of-network decision.

Why eCheck Still Shows Up at Canadian Online Casinos

Canada’s online casino market splits into two very different worlds. In Ontario, iGaming Ontario has regulated private operators since April 2022. Those licensed sites lean heavily on Interac, credit cards, and prepaid solutions. eCheck appears less often in Ontario’s regulated cashiers because Interac Online and Interac e-Transfer already bridge bank accounts with lower friction.

Outside Ontario, things look different. Most provinces do not offer locally regulated commercial online casinos. Players access international operators that accept Canadian customers. Those offshore brands serve Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces. Many of them still list eCheck as a deposit method because it lets them pull funds from a Canadian bank account without forcing a player through a crypto exchange or a third-party wallet.

That makes eCheck a strange hybrid. It is not the most popular method anywhere in Canada. It is not the fastest either. But for players who distrust card transactions at unfamiliar casinos and do not want to hold crypto, eCheck offers a familiar paper-cheque logic in an electronic wrapper. That comfort factor keeps the payment method alive.

There is also an operator-side reason. eCheck deposits carry lower chargeback rates than credit cards. For a Canadian-facing casino that operates outside provincial regulation, the method reduces payment disputes and provides a stable funding channel from major banks. That durability is why some brands have offered eCheck for over a decade without promoting it heavily.

How an eCheck Deposit Works at an Online Casino

The deposit flow is shorter than most players expect. You open the casino cashier, pick eCheck or ACH as the deposit type, enter the amount, then provide your bank account number, routing or institution number, and a few personal details. Some casinos ask for a driver’s licence number or a second verification. That request is normal for first-time eCheck users. It reduces the fraud window around new bank accounts.

Once you confirm, the casino does not move the money instantly. It creates an electronic cheque and sends it through its payment processor. The processor verifies the account against a negative database. If the account has a history of NSF transactions, the deposit may be rejected before it reaches your bank. If it passes, the casino credits your player account, sometimes immediately, sometimes after the transfer clears. Many operators credit the deposit right away but place a hold on withdrawals until the eCheck settles.

Minimum deposits at Canadian-facing eCheck casinos usually sit between $10 and $20. Maximum limits vary more. A first-time eCheck deposit might be capped at $500 or $1,000. After you establish a history, that cap can rise to $5,000 or more, though the casino’s own transaction limits typically apply before the bank’s.

The information you enter matters. Canadian banks use a three-digit institution number plus a five-digit transit number and an account number. American routing numbers are nine digits. If a casino form asks for a routing number only, it was built for US players. Many Canadian-friendly casinos adjust their forms accordingly, but the error still happens. Entering the wrong format can cause an immediate rejection or a two-day delay while support manually corrects the transaction.

Does eCheck work for casino withdrawals?

Yes, but slowly. eCheck withdrawals at online casinos usually take between three and seven business days after the pending period ends. That pending period can stretch another 24 to 72 hours. So a player can wait a full week or more between requesting a payout and seeing the money settle. Compared with Interac e-Transfer or crypto, that speed is mediocre. Compared with a physical cheque in the mail, it is acceptable.

eCheck Casino Canada vs. Interac, Credit Cards, and Crypto

Nobody picks an online casino payment method in a vacuum. The choice sits beside Interac, Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and a growing list of crypto options. eCheck has one clear advantage over cards: it does not expose your 16-digit card number to an offshore operator. It also avoids the prepaid card registration headaches that come with some casino bonuses.

Interac remains the Canadian benchmark. It is faster, more widely accepted, and built into the domestic banking system. But eCheck has a subtle edge in one scenario: players who cannot use Interac Online because their bank blocks it for gambling-related transactions. eCheck often sails through those same banks because it appears as a recurring bill payment or an ACH debit, not a point-of-sale gambling charge.

The table below lays out the practical differences for a standard $100 deposit.

Method Typical deposit time Typical withdrawal time Fees at casino Bank exposure
eCheck 3–5 business days 3–7 business days Rarely charged Account and routing number
Interac e-Transfer Instant to 30 minutes 1–3 business days Sometimes $1–$3 Email or phone number only
Visa/Mastercard Instant 3–5 business days to card Often none Card number, expiry, CVV
Bitcoin/ETH 10–60 minutes Under 24 hours Network fee Wallet address

The speed gap is real. eCheck loses that race every time. The reliability gap is smaller. Once you set up an eCheck deposit successfully, the method behaves like a utility bill: predictable, dull, and unlikely to trigger a sudden decline because your card issuer changed its gambling policy.

But the comparison is not purely about speed. eCheck forces discipline. A player who funds via eCheck knows the money will not appear for a few days. That cooling-off period can be valuable for bankroll management. Crypto and Interac make top-ups frictionless, and sometimes that friction is exactly what a player needs.

Top eCheck Casino Brands in Canada

Several long-running casino groups still list eCheck as a deposit option for Canadian players. The Casino Rewards network appears most often. Brands such as Jackpot City, Zodiac Casino, Luxury Casino, Grand Mondial, and Yukon Gold have historically accepted eCheck deposits. The same goes for Spin Casino and Royal Vegas. These brands are not Ontario-licensed operators; they operate under offshore licences and accept Canadian residents from most provinces outside Ontario.

Other recognizable names that have supported eCheck at various points include Captain Cooks Casino, All Slots Casino, and Quatro Casino. The method comes and goes from these cashiers, so a brand that accepted eCheck last year may have removed it this season. That is not a sign of trouble. It is a sign of shifting processor contracts.

Ontario’s regulated market is a different story. eCheck is rare among iGaming Ontario licensees. If you only want to play at locally regulated sites, expect to use Interac or a credit card instead. That is not a flaw in eCheck. It is a consequence of Ontario’s compliance regime, which prioritizes payment methods with built-in identity and source-of-funds rails.

For players in British Columbia, Alberta, or Quebec who still want eCheck, the offshore brands remain the practical route. Before depositing, check the casino’s cashier page. Some operators remove eCheck without notice, then quietly bring it back after renegotiating their processor agreement. The method has a habit of disappearing from a cashier for a few weeks, then returning.

A Short History of eCheck in North American iGaming

eCheck gained traction in American online poker and casino rooms around 2005. The method solved a pressing problem: after the UIGEA made card processing difficult in 2006, operators needed a bank-to-bank workaround that did not rely on Visa or Mastercard rails. eCheck fit. It used existing cheque-clearing infrastructure and carried lower processor risk than card transfers.

Canada never faced the same card-blocking crisis, but eCheck still found a home. Canadian offshore players liked the bank-tethered feel. Casinos liked the lower chargeback exposure. The method peaked in popularity around 2012, then faded as Interac e-Transfer and prepaid cards took over. By 2020, eCheck was a niche option. It has stayed there since.

In 2026, you will not see eCheck advertised on casino homepages. You might not see it mentioned in bonus emails. But open the cashier on a Casino Rewards brand and the option often still sits there, quietly processing deposits for a small, loyal group of players. That longevity says something about the method’s reliability.

Security and Consumer Protection Around eCheck

eCheck exposes different data than a card. You give the casino your bank account number and routing or institution number. That feels riskier to some players. In reality, those digits already appear on every cheque you have ever written. The fraud risk is lower than a card number because a bank account alone cannot be used for a card-not-present purchase. It can be used for an unauthorized ACH debit, but Canadian banks offer strong recourse for unauthorized EFTs.

The larger consumer protection issue is dispute resolution. If an unauthorized eCheck debit hits your account, you can file a claim with your financial institution. You generally have up to 90 days to report the transaction. The bank then investigates and may reverse it. But if the casino processed the eCheck with a signed authorization, you cannot reverse it just because you lost. Chargebacks are not a refund tool.

Casinos like eCheck for the opposite reason. The chargeback rate on eCheck transactions sits far below card chargeback rates. That is why eCheck deposits sometimes qualify for a slightly different bonus structure, or why a casino will accept an eCheck deposit after a card has been declined. The payment method signals a committed player, not a casual browser.

There is a second layer of protection that players often miss: account-level negative databases. Before a casino accepts an eCheck, it often checks the account against a database of closed accounts, NSF files, and reported fraud. That screening reduces the chance of a deposit bouncing later. It also means that a player with a spotty banking history may find eCheck unavailable even if the casino advertises it.

What player protections apply outside Ontario?

Outside Ontario, no Canadian regulator supervises an offshore casino’s eCheck processing. That does not mean the casino is unsafe. It means you rely on the operator’s licence, usually from Malta, Kahnawake, or Curaçao. Disputes go to that regulator, not to Canadian courts. Read the casino’s payment terms before making a first eCheck deposit. A promise of “no fees” means nothing if the terms allow a 5% processing fee on dormant accounts.

Fees, Hold Times, and Limits You Should Expect

Most eCheck casinos advertise fee-free deposits. That holds in most cases. The casino absorbs the processor fee because an eCheck customer is valuable. The same is not always true for withdrawals. Some operators charge $5 to $15 for an eCheck payout. Others process the first withdrawal free, then charge for later ones. The pattern varies by brand and by processor.

Hold times are the larger cost. A casino may credit your eCheck deposit instantly but hold your withdrawal for three business days while the original deposit settles. If you deposited $500, played for an hour, won $900, and requested a payout, you would wait through that hold plus the withdrawal clearance. Total time: five to ten business days before the money lands back in your bank.

Limits also matter. The table below shows typical ranges across Canadian-facing eCheck casinos, based on public cashier terms.

Transaction type Minimum Maximum first-time Maximum established
eCheck deposit $10–$20 $500–$1,000 $5,000–$10,000
eCheck withdrawal $50–$100 $2,000–$4,000 $10,000+

These numbers shift. A casino that processed eCheck withdrawals smoothly last season may now restrict them to VIP players only. That happens because eCheck payouts generate support tickets. Players write in asking why their money has not arrived. The casino knows the answer: the bank is slow. But the support cost outweighs the payment method’s utility, so the operator narrows its use.

One more cost appears rarely: a returned deposit fee. If your eCheck bounces due to insufficient funds, the casino may charge $25 to $40. That fee is disclosed in the cashier terms, but most players never read that far. A bounced eCheck can also freeze your casino account until you settle the debt. Treat an eCheck like a real cheque: do not deposit unless the money is there.

The Slow, Unsexy Reality of eCheck Withdrawals

Withdrawals are where eCheck falls apart for modern casino players. A $100 deposit that takes three days is tolerable. A $1,000 win that takes eight days to reach your bank account feels like punishment. During that time, the casino is not paying you interest. You are providing it with a free float. That is not a conspiracy. It is the settlement mechanics of ACH and EFT rails.

Some casinos now offer same-day eCheck via an RTP network. RTP, in this context, means real-time payments. That service exists in Canada but has not been widely adopted by offshore casinos serving Canadian players. A handful of Ontario-licensed operators may test instant eCheck through a linked bank verification provider. Do not plan around it. Assume eCheck withdrawals will be slow unless the casino explicitly states otherwise in the cashier.

The pattern is consistent across operators. You request a withdrawal on Monday. The pending period runs 48 hours. The processing team approves it Wednesday. The ACH or EFT batch goes out Thursday night. The bank posts it Monday morning. That is seven calendar days. It feels longer. If a holiday interrupts the schedule, add another day. eCheck is not for players who check their bank app every hour.

If fast access to winnings is your primary criterion, eCheck is the wrong choice. Use Interac e-Transfer, MuchBetter, or a crypto withdrawal. Those methods clear within hours or one business day at many Canadian-facing casinos.

Common Mistakes Players Make with eCheck

Most eCheck complaints trace back to four recurring mistakes. First, entering the wrong institution number. Canadian banks use a three-digit institution number, not a routing number. If the casino’s form asks for a routing number, it was built for US players. Stop and find the Canadian alternative or contact support.

Second, depositing before reading the withdrawal rules. A player funds with eCheck, wins, then discovers that the casino requires a different method for payouts. That happens more often than it should. Always check whether eCheck is available as a withdrawal method before you deposit with it.

Third, assuming eCheck is instant. It is not. You will wait. If you need to play tonight, use a different method. Fourth, forgetting to keep the confirmation email. The ACH network has no elegant dispute portal. Your confirmation number is your best tool if the deposit goes missing.

A fifth mistake is less obvious: using a secondary bank account that you rarely check. If the casino reverses a promotional credit or charges a returned deposit fee, you may not notice for weeks. That can trigger a negative balance and a collections process. Use an account you monitor regularly.

Can you reverse a casino eCheck deposit if you made a mistake?

No, unless the transaction was unauthorized or the casino failed to provide the service. Canadian financial institutions treat approved EFT debits as final. A casino may refund a duplicate deposit as a goodwill gesture, but it is not obligated to do so. If you typed the wrong amount or chose the wrong method, contact support within a few hours. The earlier you act, the higher the chance the processor can stop the settlement.

eCheck Casino Ontario: A Separate Conversation

Ontario players who search for an eCheck casino often hit a wall. The regulated market launched in 2022 with a heavy preference for Interac and card payments. eCheck never found a foothold among iGaming Ontario licensees because the payment method does not pair cleanly with the province’s player verification requirements. Ontario requires operators to confirm identity before the first withdrawal. Interac e-Transfer and card deposits already do that at the payment layer. eCheck does not.

That does not mean Ontario residents cannot use eCheck at all. They can sign up at an offshore casino that accepts eCheck, provided the casino does not block Ontario IP addresses. But under Ontario’s framework, that is not a locally regulated experience. Whether a player wishes to use an unregulated international operator is a personal choice. It comes with fewer formal protections than an iGaming Ontario-licensed casino.

For Ontario readers, the practical summary is simple: locally licensed eCheck casinos effectively do not exist in 2026. If eCheck is non-negotiable, the search leads offshore. That is the honest layout of the market.

The gap between Ontario and the rest of Canada will likely widen. As more provinces consider online gambling regulation—British Columbia has its own PlayNow, Quebec operates Loto-Québec online, Manitoba is exploring options—eCheck may remain stuck in the offshore segment. Regulators prefer payment methods that produce clean audit trails and instant identity verification. eCheck produces neither.

Which Canadian Banks Play Nicely with Casino eChecks?

Not all banks treat gambling-related EFTs the same way. The Big Five—RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, and CIBC—generally process eCheck casino deposits without blocking them. Credit unions are less predictable. Some smaller credit unions route EFTs through a central processor that flags gambling merchant codes and rejects the transaction automatically. That rejection is not a casino problem. It sits in the bank’s risk rules.

Players with Tangerine or Simplii accounts sometimes report longer settlement windows. These online banks have no physical branch network, which means their EFT settlement nights differ from traditional banks. A deposit that clears in three days at TD may take four days at Simplii. The casino’s processor does not care. It just waits for the settlement window.

If your eCheck deposit fails, call your bank first. Ask whether the merchant category was blocked. If the bank says yes, you can either switch banks for gambling transactions or switch to Interac. Few casinos can override a bank-level decline.

Credit union users face a specific nuisance: some casinos cannot validate transit numbers that do not fit the standard Big Five format. The cashier form rejects the entry before the transaction even submits. In that case, there is no workaround. Use a different payment method or a different bank account.

How to Set Up Your First eCheck Deposit at a Casino

The setup process is boring, which is exactly why it appeals to certain players. You create an account at a casino that lists eCheck. You go to the cashier. You select eCheck or ACH. The form asks for your account holder name, bank name, account number, transit number, and institution number. Some casinos combine transit and institution into one field labelled “branch transit,” expecting a five-digit number plus a three-digit number.

Double-check every digit. A single typo sends the transaction into limbo. You will not see an instant error message. Three days later, the deposit is still pending and support asks you to resubmit. That delay is preventable.

After your first successful eCheck deposit, most casinos mark your account as verified. Future deposits may still take three days to settle, but the cashier prefills your details and the approval becomes smoother. Some casinos reduce the pending period for repeat eCheck users because they have established a positive transaction history.

If you plan to withdraw via eCheck, set up the withdrawal method at the same time or before you need it. The casino may require additional bank verification: a void cheque, a bank statement, or a PDF from your online banking portal. Uploading that document early shortens the first payout delay.

What documents does a casino need for an eCheck withdrawal?

Most casinos ask for proof of bank account ownership. A void cheque works best because it shows the account number, transit number, and institution number in the bank’s official format. If you do not have cheques, a recent bank statement or a screenshot from online banking often satisfies the requirement. The casino may also ask for a government ID and proof of address. This is standard anti-fraud procedure, not a stalling tactic.

eCheck Casino Bonuses: What Changes?

Most Canadian-facing casinos treat eCheck deposits like any other method for bonus eligibility. A 100% match bonus works the same whether you deposit by eCheck or Visa. But watch the fine print. Some operators exclude eCheck from no-deposit bonus claims because the method has no instant verification step. Others attach a higher minimum deposit for bonus activation when using eCheck, typically $25 instead of $10.

Withdrawal bonuses can also change. If a casino offers a cashback or a rakeback program tied to payment method, eCheck often sits in the middle tier. It beats crypto for promotion eligibility but loses to Interac. That is a niche concern, but it matters to grinders who optimize every bonus term.

No credible casino in Canada offers an “eCheck-only” bonus. If you see that phrase, it is a red flag. The casino is trying to push you toward a payment method with high deposit success but slow payouts. The bonus itself is usually fine. The intent behind it is not.

What about wagering requirements? They do not change by payment method. A 35x wagering requirement stays 35x whether you fund with eCheck, Bitcoin, or a bank transfer. Some players mistakenly believe eCheck bonuses carry higher rollover because the deposit is slower. That is not true. The bonus terms are separate from the payment terms.

The Economics of eCheck for Casino Operators

From the operator’s side, eCheck is a low-cost, low-risk funding channel. The transaction fees are often a flat $0.50 to $1.50 per item, far below card processing at 2.5% to 4% of deposit value. That means a high-value eCheck player is more profitable per dollar deposited than a card player. The savings get passed on only indirectly—through higher deposit caps or occasional free transaction promotions.

But eCheck also carries hidden costs. Support tickets, manual reviews, returned items, and reconciliation all take staff time. A casino that processes 100 eCheck deposits a day might need a dedicated payments analyst. That is why many smaller casinos simply drop the method. The revenue does not justify the overhead.

For large offshore groups serving Canada, eCheck remains worth keeping. The player base is small but stable. They deposit higher amounts on average. They chargeback less. They churn slower. In a business built on lifetime value, those customers look attractive even if the payment method is slow.

How eCheck Processors Actually Move the Money

Behind every eCheck casino sits a payment processor. The most recognizable names in Canadian iGaming include VIP Preferred, eChecks.com, ACH Direct, and Neteller’s ACH service for certain regions. These processors act as intermediaries between the casino and the banking network. They batch transactions, run fraud checks, and handle returns.

The process works like this. You submit your deposit. The processor verifies your account against its negative database. It then creates an electronic cheque and submits it to the ACH or EFT network. The network sends the file to your bank. Your bank posts the debit. The processor reports the settlement to the casino. Only then does the casino release any remaining hold on your funds.

That chain explains the delays. Each step happens in a batch window, not in real time. If you deposit at 3 p.m. on a Friday, the batch may not process until Monday night. The money may not settle until Wednesday. The casino may not confirm until Thursday. The calendar, not the casino, is the bottleneck.

This is why “instant eCheck” is a marketing stretch whenever you see it. What the casino means is “we will credit your account before the money arrives.” That is a credit risk on the casino’s side. Some casinos do it for trusted players. Others never do. Do not expect it.

eCheck vs. Wire Transfer vs. Bank Transfer

Players often confuse eCheck with bank wire and generic bank transfer. They are not the same. A wire transfer moves money in real time through a network such as SWIFT or Lynx. It is faster but more expensive, often $20 to $50 per transaction. Casinos rarely use wires for small deposits.

A generic bank transfer at a casino usually means the casino gives you its bank details and you send money manually from your online banking. That method requires you to include a reference number and wait for the casino to match the incoming funds to your account. Errors are common. The process feels clunky.

eCheck sits in between. It is electronic, but not real-time. It is bank-to-bank, but the casino initiates the debit rather than asking you to push funds. For Canadian players, eCheck is typically smoother than a manual bank transfer but slower than Interac. The table below summarizes the differences.

Feature eCheck Wire transfer Manual bank transfer
Initiated by Casino Player Player
Speed 3–5 business days 1–2 business days 1–3 business days after casino matching
Cost Usually free $20–$50 Often free or small fee
Error risk Low Low High if reference missing

If you want a bank-based method with the least friction, eCheck wins. If you need speed and can afford the fee, wire transfer wins. If you like manual control and are willing to wait for reconciliation, generic bank transfer works. Most Canadian casino players avoid all three in favour of Interac, which beats them on both speed and simplicity.

The Future of eCheck in Canadian iGaming

eCheck is not going to have a comeback moment. The payment method lacks the speed that modern players demand and the compliance features that Canadian regulators want. As instant payment rails expand—including the Real-Time Rail (RTR) in Canada—bank-based transfers will eventually become instant. When that happens, the distinction between eCheck and other bank transfers will blur.

Canadian banks are also tightening their gambling transaction policies. Even if provincial regulators do not act, banks may start blocking more gambling-related EFTs under their own risk frameworks. That could quietly kill eCheck deposits for some users while leaving Interac and card payments untouched.

For now, eCheck remains a working option at a shrinking circle of offshore casinos. It works. It settles. It costs little. But you have to accept the waiting time and the occasional cashier hiccup. If you can handle that, eCheck still has a place in your payment toolkit. If you cannot, the market has faster alternatives everywhere.

Final Verdict on eCheck Casinos in Canada

eCheck is not the future of casino payments. It is a reliable relic. For a specific type of Canadian player—someone who wants a direct bank transfer, does not want to use crypto, and does not mind waiting—it still works. The deposit side is fine. The withdrawal side is slow. The security profile is acceptable, especially compared with entering card details at an unfamiliar offshore site.

If you live in Ontario and want locally regulated play, eCheck is not your method. Use Interac. If you live elsewhere in Canada and prize a bank-linked deposit over speed, eCheck deserves a look. Just do not fund with eCheck expecting to cash out in 24 hours. That expectation dies on day two.

The casinos that still support eCheck have kept it alive for a reason. It attracts patient players who deposit real money and cause few disputes. Those players may not generate the same buzz as crypto users, but they pay the bills. In an industry obsessed with the next big thing, that quiet reliability still matters.

FAQ: eCheck Casinos in Canada

Do online casinos in Canada still accept eCheck in 2026?

Yes, but mostly outside Ontario’s regulated market. Several offshore brands serving players in British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces still list eCheck as a deposit method. Ontario-licensed casinos rarelyoffer eCheck because Interac and card payments already provide bank-linked options with faster verification. If you specifically want eCheck, look at offshore brands such as Jackpot City, Zodiac, and Luxury Casino, but confirm the cashier before signing up.

eCheck casinos will not disappear in 2026. They will keep serving a niche of patient, bank-first Canadian players while the rest of the market races toward faster rails. That is not a criticism. It is just the shape of the market.