The Registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has served DraftKings Canada with a $100,000 fine for alleged infractions of its standards of internet gaming. The purported breaches were related to advertising and inducements.
DraftKings allegedly transgressed AGCO’s Standard 2.05 by posting or airing multiple broad gambling inducements including boosted 2:1 odds. The Registrar claims these offenses occurred from 19-31 May 2022.
AGCO’s Standard 2.05 explicitly forbids the advertising of inducements, bonuses or credits on platforms other than the sports operator’s official website.
The standards were put in place to protect Ontarians and prevent problem gambling. The standards include clauses that allow companies to advertise on diverse platforms only when they have the active player’s consent.
DraftKings retains the right to appeal the decision made by the Registrar of the AGCO, Tom Mungham. The company can do this through the License Appeal Tribunal which is an adjudicative tribunal that is independent of the AGCO and part of the Tribunals Ontario.
Mungham says: “The AGCO will continue to monitor the activities of all registered operators and hold them to high standards of responsible gambling, player protection and game integrity.
“It is in the public interest that we ensure they are meeting their obligations under Ontario’s Gaming Control Act and the Standards.”
The AGCO is an Ontarian provincial regulatory agency that reports to the Ministry of the Attorney General. The corporation was created under the landmark Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario Act, 2019. It is responsible for regulating the alcohol, gaming, horse racing and private cannabis retail sectors in Ontario.
