The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has been awarded the North American Gaming Regulators Association (NAGRA) Excellence in Gaming Regulation Award for its work developing and implementing the regulatory framework for Ontario’s new open and competitive internet gaming (iGaming) market that launched in April 2022.

The honour was announced June 13 at NAGRA’s annual conference in Boise, Idaho. With this award, NAGRA is recognizing the AGCO for its extraordinary contributions and exceptional performance in the field of gaming regulation. As Ontario’s gaming regulator, the AGCO worked closely within a large team led by Ontario’s Ministries of the Attorney General and Finance to develop a strong, responsible internet gaming model that provides consumer choice, protects players, and supports legal market growth.

“By most measures, the first year of Ontario’s open, regulated igaming market has been a remarkable success. In just one year, we went from an estimated 70 per cent of online gambling occurring on unregulated sites to over 85 per cent of respondents to a recent survey saying they’ve gambled on regulated sites. With over 45 registered operators offering over 75 sites and more than 5,000 certified games, Ontario consumers have an abundance of safer options to choose from within the regulated sector. This success would not have been possible without the strong Government leadership from the Attorney General and the Minister of Finance, close collaboration with iGaming Ontario and the commitment of gaming operators, suppliers, and stakeholders from across the gaming spectrum,” Tom Mungham, Registrar and CEO of AGCO, said.

“Congratulations to the AGCO for this prestigious award recognizing its outstanding regulatory work with the new igaming market. The Ministry of the Attorney General is proud to work with the AGCO to build a safe, legal and competitive new marketplace that will continue to drive innovation across the sector, create good jobs, and provide protection and choice for players,” said Attorney General Doug Downey.

“On behalf of the Excellence in Gaming Award voting Committee and the NAGRA Board, congratulations to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) for this year’s Excellence in Gaming Award, team recipient. The detailed information provided in the nomination about the AGCO’s work to develop and implement a regulatory framework for Ontario’s new iGaming market was clearly a collaborative effort that required skill, commitment, and teamwork from the AGCO staff team,” said Jennifer LaMont, NAGRA President and voting committee member.

This is the second international recognition the AGCO has received for its igaming regulatory framework. In October 2022, the AGCO was awarded the International Association of Gaming Regulators’ Regulatory Excellence Award.