Catch up on the latest AGCO fines condensed. The regulatory authority is shaping up as a no-nonsense licensing body with player protection at the top of its list! (Photo by Isabel Piñeiro on Unsplash)
From failure to check the source of funds to featuring slots not approved by the Canadian Ontario provincial online gambling framework, the AGCO is on the ball regarding player safety with a string of ‘rightly so’ fines.
It seems the AGCO is following suit with some of the strictest licensing authorities, like the United Kingdom’s UKGC and ACMA, which have set a precedent for protecting gambling enthusiasts in Ontario’s relatively new online casino and betting market.
If you hate fines, don’t be too hasty to judge simply because you read the word ‘fine.’ I do understand if the word brings out that inner resentment in you. I certainly don’t appreciate being fined by the ‘money-grabbing’ authorities.
Instead, think of ‘safety,’ ‘integrity,’ and ‘protection.’ These fines by Canada’s AGCO are so Ontarians have a fair iGaming and sports betting environment. It means these licensing authorities have our backs.
After 16 months in action, the AGCO (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario) in Canada has come a long way. An interesting point regarding strict online regulatory authorities is the number of fines issues. It is a good sign for players to see that operators must pay penalties for not following the gambling framework laid out for them.
Safe & Reliable Canadian Casinos: Platforms offering a safe online gambling environment are available via the casino Canada section located on the Casinoplusbonus reputable casinos info centre or menu. You can use the webpage to understand how discover regulated & trustworthy online casinos, then head to the Canadian portal to find sites that accept CAD or crypto.
Apollo Takes a Huge CA$100,000 Fine from AGCO
The first on the list is Apollo, which received its fine from the Canadian AGCO licensing body just today. The financial penalty is (£ 59k / € 68k / US$ 74k) for other currencies. It’s certainly not as high as some of the fines we have seen by the UKGC, but a hefty fine, nonetheless.
- Affordability & AML Checks: According to local news reports, a player lost C$ 2m in only 4 months of playing at one of the operator’s venues. Apollo’s team failed to intervene at any point.
- Lack of Responsible Gambling Tools: Allegedly, the casino did not provide tools allowing players to set spending limits and/or self-exclude. The casino also did not provide time-based tools such as reality checks.
- Lack of Training: Another reason for the fine was that employees were not trained on the importance of responsible gambling and how to spot problem gambling.
Why? In short, these are fines for not following procedures to prevent gambling addiction. Responsible gambling is a major focus for the AGCO, and like the UKGC, the authority has a zero-tolerance policy.
Fines for Uncertified Online Slots
This is a story already covered here on Casinoplusbonus. There were a string of online casinos operating under the AGCO licensing framework that somehow leaked games onto their Ontario platforms. This is likely because each brand also operates in other jurisdictions. Somehow the online slots slipped through each of the provider’s platforms and became available to players in Ontario. The online slots were from software providers that currently do not hold licensing with the AGCO.
The 3 operators in question are LeoVegas Gaming, Bunchberry Limited, and Mobile Incorporated Limited. LeoVegas being the largest of the trio. The company has multiple platforms across the globe. This includes those with licensing by the UKGC and MGA.
Want to know more and how much the fines were? Dive further into the story via the Fines for AGCO Uncertified Slot Games news report for for a more in-depth look into this news piece.
BetVictor Operator BV Gaming Lands CA$ 15,000 Fine
Another fine dished out by Canada’s AGCO hit a well-known brand – BetVictor. The company’s operator BV Gaming took a (CA$ 15,000 £ 9k/€10k /US$ 11k) fine, and like the story, the penalty was due to responsible gambling rules. Yet, this find has nothing to do with checking players. This was regarding junior matches in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).
One of the rules of offering sports betting odds is that games that sportsbooks cannot offer betting odds for games that involve ‘juniors’.
Fitzdares Canada CA$ 15,000 Fine
The company was charged the same CA$ 15,000 fine for offering odds on the same junior CHL games.
More AGCO Fines on the Horizon?
I can say with confidence we expect more fines from the AGCO in the future. The authority means business and is placing player protection at the forefront of its framework. It makes perfect sense because the idea behind a provincial online gambling entertainment regulatory authority in the province was to offer players the chance to play casino games and place sports bets under the protection of local laws. Much like the UKGC for the United Kingdom.
Find out more about AGCO Casinos: For further clarification covering the Ontario licensing authority, explore the Casinoplusbonus Canadian gambling portal and head over to the Ontario casino online section.
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