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Over 86% of Ontario’s online gamblers play on regulated sites: Study

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Two years into Ontario’s open, regulated internet gaming (igaming) market, a new study commissioned by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario has found that the vast majority of people participating in igaming in the province are doing so on regulated sites. This represents a significant change from the estimated 70 per cent of online gambling that occurred on unregulated sites before the Government of Ontario established a safer, competitive, and regulated open market for Ontarians in April 2022.

According to an Ipsos study conducted in February 2024, 86.4% of Ontarians who gambled online over the preceding three months gambled on regulated sites. This represents an increase from the 85.3% of igaming participants who reported playing on regulated sites on a similar study conducted in 2023.

In 2022, the Government of Ontario worked with the AGCO and iGaming Ontario to launch an open igaming market that allows eligible private gaming operators, registered with the AGCO and under contract with iGO, to participate in Ontario’s legal gaming market. There are currently 47 registered operators offering 77 regulated sites to Ontarians.

However, despite this significant choice, the study found that a notable portion of Ontario’s igaming participants continue to wager on unregulated sites. The study found that 20.1% of those who had gambled online over the prior three months wagered on a combination of regulated and unregulated sites, while 13.6% did all their betting on unregulated sites. Participants named over 350 unregulated websites they have used, which highlights how many illicit betting options can be accessed by Ontarians and the importance of continued efforts to shift players to Ontario’s safer and legal gaming options.

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“Since its launch in April 2022, Ontario’s igaming model has been recognized internationally for championing work to displace the unregulated online gaming market,” said Attorney General Doug Downey. “This made-in-Ontario, regulated market will continue to inspire global innovation, while ensuring a safer landscape for players and businesses alike.” – Doug Downey, Attorney General of Ontario

“In Ontario, regulated sites are held to high standards of game integrity, data security and player protections, including having significant responsible gaming safeguards. While it’s encouraging to see most participants are choosing regulated gaming options, those who are not are unfortunately risking far more than their wagers.” – Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar, AGCO

“iGaming Ontario joins our operators, government, and AGCO in celebrating our success in attracting Ontarians to the safer, regulated igaming market. We will continue to work in lockstep with the AGCO to enable Ontarians to play with confidence.” – Martha Otton, Executive Director, iGaming Ontario

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MIXI Receives AGCO Approval for PointsBet Acquisition

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PointsBet Holdings Limited announced that MIXI has received written confirmation that AGCO has no concerns with the proposed acquisition by MIXI of the shares in PointsBet Holdings Limited.

PointsBet has also received written confirmation from iGaming Ontario (iGO) in relation to MIXI’s proposed acquisition of shares in PointsBet.

Accordingly, the condition precedent to MIXI’s proposed PointsBet-Board recommended Takeover Bid relating to Ontario approvals in paragraph 4.5 of Schedule 1 of the Bid Implementation Deed dated 16 June 2025 (BID) has been satisfied.

MIXI’s proposed Takeover Bid remains subject to the satisfaction of certain other limited conditions as previously announced, including a 50.1% minimum acceptance of the proposed MIXI Offer (as defined in the BID).

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The Northern Territory Racing and Wagering Commission provided its approval on 24 March 2025 for MIXI to acquire PointsBet. PointsBet confirmed that MIXI’s proposed Takeover Bid is no longer subject to any gaming regulatory approvals.

The post MIXI Receives AGCO Approval for PointsBet Acquisition appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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AGCO Fines Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto $350,000 for Serious Regulatory Violations Linked to Impromptu After-Party on Gaming Floor

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The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has issued monetary penalties totaling $350,000 against Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto for multiple violations of provincial gaming standards. The penalties follow an impromptu after-party that was permitted to take place in the pre-dawn hours directly on the casino’s gaming floor.

On September 27, 2024, an electronic dance music event attended by thousands of people was hosted in the theatre adjacent to the casino at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto. The event was marked by widespread intoxication, disorderly behavior, and numerous criminal and medical incidents – both inside and outside the venue – including alleged assaults, drug overdoses, and acts of public indecency. Although paid duty officers were present, additional police and emergency services were required to manage the situation.

In the midst of this high-risk environment, casino management approved an unscheduled request by the performing artist to host an after-party on the active gaming floor. The artist and more than 400 guests were permitted onto the gaming floor where the artist was allowed to perform amidst operational table games and gaming machines – without any prior risk assessment or planning.

As a result, security personnel were unable to effectively control the casino floor, including witness reports that an attendee was seen climbing onto slot machines. Failure to maintain appropriate control compromises the security, safety, and integrity of the casino floor. Following the conclusion of the event, the operator failed to promptly report these incidents to the AGCO as required.

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Based on the findings of its review, the AGCO’s Registrar has issued an Order of Monetary Penalty (OMP) totaling $350,000 against Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto. These penalties address critical failures in their operations, incident reporting, employee training, and the management of disturbances.

A gaming operator served with an OMP has 15 days to appeal the Registrar’s decision to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative tribunal that is part of Tribunals Ontario and independent of the AGCO.

“Casino operators have a fundamental duty to control their gaming environment. Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto’s lapses in this incident compromised the safety of patrons and the security and integrity of the gaming floor,” Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of AGCO, said.

The post AGCO Fines Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto $350,000 for Serious Regulatory Violations Linked to Impromptu After-Party on Gaming Floor appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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AGCO: Casino Days Penalized $54,000 for Deceptive and High-Risk Bonus Offer

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The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has issued a $54,000 monetary penalty alleging Well Played Media, Unipessoal LDA promoted a deceptive bonus on its Casino Days website. The bonus offer is alleged to have encouraged high-risk behavior and failed to properly disclose key terms.

The AGCO launched an investigation triggered by a player who complained that more than $8500 in winnings had been confiscated by Casino Days. The investigation reviewed a so-called “welcome bonus” that promised new players up to $2000.

However, to qualify for the full bonus amount, players had to:

Deposit $2000 of their own money;

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Wager $70,000 (35 times the deposit);

Keep each wager at or under $5; and

Complete all wagering requirements within 7 days.

Investigators also found that certain terms of the bonus offer were difficult to find, buried behind multiple links on the site.

AGCO’s analysis showed that the average player would first lose $3640 trying to earn the $2000 bonus.

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According to Ontario’s igaming rules, registered operators must not offer bonus promotions that encourage harmful gambling behavior and fail to disclose key conditions appropriately. Further, operators are not permitted to entice players with bonuses that cannot reasonably be attained without significant gambling losses.

These rules are in place to protect players and support a safe, regulated market—one that stands in contrast to the risks of unregulated gambling sites.

An igaming operator served with an Order of Monetary Penalty by the AGCO Registrar has the right to appeal the Registrar’s decision to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative tribunal that is part of Tribunals Ontario and independent of the AGCO.

“Player protection is a non-negotiable priority for the AGCO. We expect operators to be truthful and transparent about their promotions, and we also require them to ensure that those promotions do not encourage reckless or harmful patterns of play. An offer that requires a player to sustain substantial losses for a perceived benefit is not a fair offer. This penalty sends a clear signal that we will not hesitate to take action against operators who fail to meet their obligations to protect Ontario players,” Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of AGCO.

The post AGCO: Casino Days Penalized $54,000 for Deceptive and High-Risk Bonus Offer appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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