Great Canadian Entertainment Fined in Ontario for Violating Regulatory Guidelines
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has penalized Great Canadian Entertainment $151,000 for several alleged infractions of provincial gambling regulations regarding age verification. The incidents raised concerns about possible inadequacies in the gaming operator's existing procedures and staff training.
The regulator states the enforcement action was prompted by four individual occurrences where children were reported to have entered casino gaming floors and participated in gambling games. The occurrences occurred at three Great Canadian Entertainment properties in the Greater Toronto Area.
Two infractions occurred at the Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, while the other two occurred at Casino Ajax and Pickering Casino Resort, respectively. The AGCO's regulatory framework mandates that all gambling operators licensed deny access to anyone under the age of 19, except in specific cases such as employment-related roles.
Under the AGCO regulations, gambling operators have a statutory duty to ensure that only appropriate persons get access to the floor of casinos or any gambling-related facilities, like slot machines and table games. The AGCO emphasized that age verification best practices are not just a compliance requirement but also a good basic measure toward safeguarding vulnerable segments of society, most importantly, children.
In a release on the enforcement action, AGCO Registrar and CEO Dr. Karin Schnarr reaffirmed the Commission's dedication to upholding public confidence in the province's gaming sector. She stressed that casino operators have a clear and ongoing responsibility to implement and maintain rigorous measures to keep underage individuals off gaming floors.
Schnarr also ensured that the AGCO would exert strict control over all licensed casino operators to enforce compliance with gambling legislation and provincial gaming standards.
No Uniform Compliance with Rules
The regulator stated that its investigation of the incidents revealed shortcomings in the operators' ability to consistently apply entry limits based on age. AGCO regulations also require all casino staff to possess the required competence, training, and experience to conduct their tasks effectively. This includes the capacity to verify customers' ages correctly and take action when policies are being violated.
Great Canadian, the owner and operator of a number of gaming facilities in Ontario and in other provinces, is entitled to appeal the AGCO's Monetary Penalty Order. Appeals are decided by the Licence Appeal Tribunal, an independent adjudicative tribunal that is part of Tribunals Ontario and independent of the AGCO.
The fine against Great Canadian is one of AGCO's continuing regulatory enforcement actions in Ontario's gaming sector. Such actions involve ensuring that all licensed operators adhere to practices aimed at minimizing gambling-related harm, especially among children and other vulnerable groups.
AGCO currently regulates gambling operators in Ontario. Established in 2022, the province is also Canada's only iGaming-regulated market. For its third year in operation, iGaming Ontario released its full-year revenue report, with online gaming revenue increasing by 32% to CA$3.2 billion.
