The Registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) issued three operators with its Notices of Monetary Penalty. The penalty was issued because operators violated the Standards for Internet gaming related to game integrity. AGCO wanted to protect the gamblers and gamers in the province, and that led to the actions against three famous operators.
Three operators violated the Standards:
Bunchberry Limited, Mobile Incorporated Limited, and LeoVegas Gaming PLC offered to the audience from Ontario the games that AGCO and Independent Testing Laboratory (ITL) haven’t approved, which violated Standards 4.08 and 4.09.
Mobile Incorporated Limited also offered products that were developed by two suppliers which weren’t registered in AGCO’s base, which violated Standard 1.22. The company has to pay a fine of $30,000 because of these violations. The company is about to pay the biggest fine among all three operators included in AGCO’s recent actions.
LeoVegas provided its Ontario customers with uncertified games, which weren’t in accordance with AGCO Board Guidelines and violated Standards 4.08 and 4.09. AGCO issued a fine of $25,000, which the company has to pay because of its actions.
Bunchberry Limited also committed the same infractions, violating Standards 4.08 and 4.09. They also violated the Board Guidelines, and the Order of Monetary Penalty says the company has to pay a fine of $15,000 for these violations.
The protection of the citizens:
AGCO established the Standards to protect the citizens of Ontario and minimize the harm that can be caused to gamblers. AGCO’s main mission is to establish requirements that are clear and precise and to track and prohibit all unauthorized processes, including games that aren’t certified by AGCO.
Punished operators have a right to appeal to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an independent body that is a part of the Tribunals Ontario.
Tom Mungham, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar at AGCO, commented on this decision: “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.”