AGCO Fines Three Operators over Unlicensed Games

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has fined three operators over the provision of uncertified slots.

According to the regulator, Bunchberry, Mobile Incorporated and LeoVegas offered games that had not been approved by the AGCO registrar or certified by an Independent Testing Laboratory registered by the registrar. In addition to that, Mobile Incorporated took it a step further by offering titles from unregistered companies.

The AGCO pointed out that its standards were put in place to protect citizens of the province from gambling harm and to ensure game integrity and fairness. These rules include clear requirements that the licensed operators and suppliers in Ontario’s regulated iGaming market are expected to follow. One of them is to offer only games that have been certified by the AGCO or and AGCO-registered ITL.

As a result of the aforementioned violations, the AGCO issued $51,760 (converted to USD) in monetary penalties to the three gaming operators that violated the rules. Breaking down the fines, Mobile Incorporated has received a $22,200 fine for its violations. LeoVegas, meanwhile, will have to pay $18,500 for providing unlicensed games. Lastly, Bunchberry will have to pay a fine of $11,000.

The three operators have the right to appeal the registrar’s action to the Licence Appeal Tribunal – an adjudicative tribunal that is independent of the AGCO and is a part of Tribunals Ontario.

Mungham Said that Players Expect the Rules to Be Followed

Tom Mungham, the chief executive officer and registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, commented on the matter. He reaffirmed that the AGCO will continue to hold all registered operators to high standards when it comes to safer gaming, player protection and integrity.

As a result, the AGCO will continue to monitor its licensees’ activities and take action when the rules are breached. Mungham said that one of the most important features of the local regulatory regime is the requirement that gaming companies should only offer games registered by independent testing laboratories.

Ontarians who choose to play on registered sites need the assurance that the games being provided meet these requirements.

Tom Mungham, CEO & registrar, AGCO

The AGCO Says 85% of Players Prefer the Legal Market

Earlier this month, the AGCO published statistics about the state of the regulated iGaming market. Celebrating a year of legal online gambling, the regulator pointed out that a whopping 85% of the local players are now playing with legal operators.

These results were lauded by Mungham, who said that channeling players toward the legal market had been a key objective in the first year of Ontario iGaming. He noted that by playing with licensed companies, players can benefit from high standards, game integrity, fairness, player protection and responsible gaming tools.