The Registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has served three internet gaming operators with Notices of Monetary Penalty. The iGaming operators, registered with the AGCO, have allegedly committed infractions of the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming worth $70,000.
These standards, which specifically concern game integrity, were created by the AGCO with the intention of protecting public interest and Ontarians from harm, while ensuring game fairness and operator compliance with market responsibility.
The Standards include direct requirements for operators and iGaming suppliers within Ontario’s open iGaming market to stop any unregulated gaming activity. They also clearly state that operators must only provide games certified by an Independent Testing Laboratory (ITL) registered with the AGCO.
Companies Bunchberry Limited, Mobile Incorporated Limited (MobInc) and MGM-owned LeoVegas are alleged to have gone against Standards 4.08 and 4.09 by providing games that were neither approved nor certified by the AGCO Registrar. These three operators have allegedly further violated Standard 1.22by providing games from suppliers who were also not AGCO registered.
Tom Mungham, AGCO CEO and Registrar, said, “The AGCO holds all registered operators to high standards of responsible gambling, player protection and game integrity, and monitors their activities in the interest of Ontarians.
“A critical feature of our regulatory framework requires operators to only offer games that are from registered gaming suppliers and have been certified by an AGCO-registered independent testing laboratory to meet the highest standards of game integrity.
"Ontarians who choose to play on registered sites need the assurance that the games being provided meet these requirements.”
Registered operators served with a Notice of Monetary Penalty by the AGCO have the right to appeal to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT). The LAT is an adjudicative tribunal, independent of the AGCO, but part of Tribunals Ontario.
