MGE Niagara Entertainment, the operator of Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls Ontario, has been handed a penalty by the Registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) for AML violations. The Order of Monetary Penalty totaled CA$70,000 (US$51,959).
The AML penalty comes following a report from April 2023 regarding suspicious activity at the Fallsview Casino Resort. A patron attending the Salon Privé is said to have had CA$80,000 ‘in strapped $100 bills from a reusable grocery bag’ counted and confirmed at the venue, with the patron then leaving with the accumulated poker chips.
AGCO has stated that the operator failed to find the source of the patron's funds, which is a requirement by the Registrar’s Standards for Gaming when dealing with ‘significant amounts of bulk cash.’ Furthermore, the patron had previously been deemed ‘high risk,’ yet MGE Niagara Entertainment had failed to notify AGCO of the issue, which is also required to be disclosed by the standards.
“The AGCO is committed to protecting the public interest and public safety and remains vigilant in its efforts to guard against potential money laundering at Ontario’s gaming sites,” said AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr. “Casino operators are important front-line partners in this effort and the AGCO holds all operators to rigorous standards when it comes to the prevention of unlawful activity.”
The AGCO and associated Ontario Provincial Police bureau continue to monitor gaming in Ontario in order to ensure operations are in line with rulings set out by the Registrar’s Standards for Gaming. It has fined other operators for failings in the past, including Apollo Entertainment in August and Woodbine Casino in September.
Gaming in Ontario has grown steadily in recent years, with iGaming a particularly notable field after online gaming game into regulation in April 2022. We spoke with Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) President & CEO Paul Burns and SVP, Canada of The Innovation Group Kevin Dennis on the growth of this market sector in the latest edition of Gaming America.
