AGCO Fines Great Canadian Entertainment over Alleged Underage Gambling Violations

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced that it had issued CAD 151,000 ($108,542) in penalties to Great Canadian Entertainment for alleged failures at three of its casinos. The fine was prompted by four separate occasions in which the casino company’s properties are said to have failed to prevent minors from gambling.

Great Canadian Allegedly Allowed Minors to Play

The AGCO investigated the matter, learning of four occasions on which minors at Great Canadian Entertainment’s Toronto-area casinos, namely Casino Ajax, Pickering Casino Resort, and Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, were able to access the gambling facilities and play.

Two of the four alleged cases are said to have happened at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto. According to the AGCO, the other two properties committed a single violation each.

The AGCO highlighted the importance of holding Ontario’s gaming operators to high standards and reiterated its commitment to reducing gambling harm. Per the regulator’s standards, operators are required to ensure that only those of legal age are allowed to enter a casino and gamble.

To that end, the AGCO’s standards mandate that casino employees should have the competence, skills, experience, and training to “effectively carry out their duties.” These duties include confirming the identity and age of people visiting gambling facilities and preventing young and self-excluded players from gaming.

The Operator Can Appeal the Fine

As mentioned, the AGCO has levied a fine of $108,542 against Great Canadian Entertainment. The regulator provided further detail about the monetary penalty incurred by each of the three casinos.

Casino Ajax, a property in the northern part of the city, was handed a fine of CAD 50,000 ($35,941) because of a single violation of Sections 1.9, 3.1, and 3.2 of the Registrar Standards.

Pickering Casino Resort, a property not far from Casino Ajax, was fined the same sum because of a similar violation.

Great Canadian Casino Resort, a property close to the Toronto Pearson International Airport, on the other hand, incurred a slightly larger fine (CAD 51,000 / $36,660) due to two violations of sections 3.1 and 3.2 of the Registrar Standards.

Per the Ontario rules, Great Canadian Entertainment can appeal this order of monetary penalty to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative tribunal that is part of Tribunals Ontario and independent of the AGCO.  

Registrar Schnarr Commented on the Fine

Dr Karin Schnarr, AGCO’s chief executive officer and registrar, commented on the matter, reminding Ontario casino operators of their obligation to prevent underage gambling.

Ontario casino operators have an obligation to ensure minors are not able to access casino floors or activities such as slot machines or table games. The AGCO will continue to monitor and hold all casino operators accountable for fulfilling this important role.

Dr Karin Schnarr, CEO & registrar, AGCO

The announcement comes a few days after the AGCO reached a settlement with Woodbine Entertainment regarding an investigation into earlier horse-related incidents.