The main change sees the removal of Registrar approval for responsible gambling training programs. However, as stated in a press release from the AGCO, “Training must still be mandatory, regularly updated, and based on best practices.”

The AGCO goes on to state that, “This change reduces red tape, encourages innovation, and maintains Ontario’s high standards for player protection.” 

“This also aligns with AGCO’s outcomes-based regulatory approach and brings greater consistency across gaming sectors, including iGaming.”

The intention is that operators can update their training programs quickly, without the need to wait for approval. 

AGCO Responsible Gambling Standards

Although operators will no longer need approval for responsible gambling training programs, they will still be held to the AGCO’s high standards to protect players. 

The standards state that “All employees who interact with players shall receive mandatory training, which is refreshed regularly to include current best practice research and employee feedback.”

A new section added this month says that: “Support shall be provided to persons showing signs of potentially problematic gambling behavior, including providing players with easily accessible contact information of at least one organization dedicated to treating and assisting problem gamblers.”

In April this year, the AGCO also provided new guidance for companies to monitor player behaviour and identify those who may be at risk of problem gambling. 

Staff should be trained to recognise the signs of problem gambling and offer timely support once signs of risk emerge.

Operators Face Fines For Not Protecting Players

The AGCO issued a fine to Casino Days last month for failing to protect players. The company was accused of using a deceptive bonus to encourage players to incur substantial losses and was fined CA$54,000 ($48,000). 

Karin Schnarr, CEO and Registrar of the AGCO, emphasized the regulator’s focus on player protection, commenting: “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.”

Ontario iGaming Seeing Rapid Growth

Ontario’s online gaming revenue has experienced rapid growth since the province regulated iGaming in 2021. 

In its first year of operations, gross gaming revenue (GGR) was CA$1.26 billion ($920 million), which grew to CA$2.20 billion ($1.61 billion), and subsequently, CA$3.20 billion ($2.34 billion). 

This year, the industry continues to thrive. In April, GGR was CA$313.5 million ($228.4 million), a 25.3% increase from April 2024. 

May saw a new record in GGR at CA$338 million, surpassing the previous high in January by 2.9%. This was a 40.3% increase from May 2024. 

With online casinos accounting for around 78% of GGR, responsible gambling training to recognize when players are exceeding their limits is essential. 

The AGCO hopes the removal of the need to approve training program changes will lead to companies introducing measures that protect players during this period of rapid growth. 

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This follows an investigation by the AGCO in which a player complained that over CA$8,500 in winnings had been seized by the operator. The platform was offering a “welcome bonus” that promised new players up to CA$2,000.

However, in order to qualify for the full amount, players had to fulfill numerous requirements that investigators say were overly stringent and difficult to find.

• Deposit CA$2,000 of their own money
• Wager CA$70,000 (35 times the deposit)
• Keep each wager at or under CA$5
• Complete all wagering requirements within seven days

“Player protection is a non-negotiable priority for the AGCO,” Karin Schnarr, CEO and Registrar of the AGCO, said in a statement. “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.”

Investigation Found Platform Failed to Protect Players

Analysis conducted by the AGCO revealed that the average player would initially lose approximately $3,640 when attempting to earn the $2,000 bonus.

Ontario’s iGaming rules prohibit licensed operators from offering bonus promotions that could foster harmful gambling practices and fail to outline key qualifying conditions properly. Operators are also prohibited from enticing players with promotional offers that cannot be reasonably achieved without experiencing significant losses beforehand.

The AGCO determined that Well Played Media violated all these terms.

“An offer that requires a player to sustain substantial losses for a perceived benefit is not a fair offer,” the AGCO said. “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.”

As with any operator served with an Order of Monetary Penalty by the AGCO, Well Played Media may file a formal appeal to the Licenses Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an independent body associated with Tribunals Ontario.

‘Ensuring the Integrity of Game Play’ a Priority for AGCO

Casino Days advertises itself as the “premier online casino destination in Ontario,” featuring over 6,000 different games, including slots, table games, and live dealers.

Although it is regulated in Ontario, the AGCO’s recent action highlights the challenge of protecting players to promote market integrity.

In April, the AGCO fined the Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto CA$120,000 for failing to detect cheating and dealer collusion.

The penalty came after charges were brought against five individuals following an investigation into alleged collusion between a group of casino patrons and two table dealers. A subsequent AGCO compliance review confirmed that the dealers had engaged in the scheme, allowing patrons to win over CA$20,000 illegally within a seven-day period.

The same casino was fined CA$80,000 in 2023 after failing to detect a similar scheme.

Following the most recent violation, Schnarr said Ontario’s registered operators “have an obligation to ensure the integrity” of game play – including detecting and preventing collusion and cheating – and promised the AGCO would “continue to monitor and take all necessary steps” to ensure it happens.

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With approval being given to both the German edict egaming GmbH and Edict Malta Limited, the Merkur subsidiary is now able to offer Merkur online slots to operators licensed across the Canadian province’s igaming market.

Dominic-Daniel Liénard, CEO of edict egaming GmbH, has described the approval in Ontario as a “big step” for the company as it seeks to showcase itself to the igaming industry across the world.

“We are delighted to have received AGCO approval for our Merkur games in Ontario,” commented Liénard.

“This is definitely a big step for edict and we are very excited to showcase ourselves to new audiences on the global stage in this dynamic market.”

Established in Hamburg in 1998, edict egaming GmbH was acquired in 2008 by the Gauselmann Group, now Merkur Group, before launching its game solution in 2014 and undergoing a mobile-first approach the following year.

The company launched its aggregator solution in 2021 and back in April this year, edict egaming secured an aggregation agreement with the slots supplier Apparat Gaming.

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Both regulators share the same objectives and values regarding the gaming sector, including “protecting the public interest, safeguarding of vulnerable individuals from gambling harm and consumer protection”.

The MGA stated that the new MoU aims to strengthen the collaboration between the two regulators, helping to enable the sharing of vital information and best practices, as well as “mutual operational assistance concerning gaming operators” and create a safer and more secure gaming environment in both jurisdictions.

“Our ongoing collaboration with AGCO has yielded tangible results in the past, and through this MoU, we are committed to further bolstering our inter-jurisdictional relationship,” commented Charles Mizzi, CEO of the MGA.

“Our focus remains on fostering the exchange of information, with the overarching goal of improving our regulatory practices and addressing mutual challenges effectively.”

Earlier this year, the MGA renewed its MoU with the Alderney Gambling Control Commission.

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This is said to be related to “several alleged violations of the responsible gambling provisions”, with the operator having the right to appeal.

Among the shortcomings discovered by the AGCO is a failure to appropriately intervene and provide assistance to a player who was potentially experiencing gambling harms.

This related to one player that lost over $500,000 in under three months and was reportedly “flagged as potentially high-risk by the operator’s systems on multiple occasions”.

One of these occasions included significant losses being incurred and repeated withdrawal cancellations being made. However, no interventions ensued.

Furthermore, a failure to enforce a required 24-hour cooling-off period when a player cancelled their per-day deposit limit was also found, with gambling inducements, bonuses, or credits through direct advertising without active player consent also issued.

“Despite the player withdrawing their consent for direct advertising and marketing, credits totaling $35,500 were deposited on various occasions into the player’s account, and numerous offers of free tickets to sporting events were provided,” the AGCO said.

As a result, it was also suggested that these incidents demonstrate a failure to ensure that employees understood the importance of responsible gambling and were adequately trained to respond appropriately to, and assist, those that may be experiencing harm.

“In Ontario, igaming operators have an obligation to proactively monitor their patrons’ play for signs of high-risk gambling, and to take appropriate actions to intervene and reduce the potential for gambling related harms,” commented Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the AGCO

“The AGCO will continue to focus on player protection by holding all registered operators to these high standards.”

In August, Apollo Entertainment was served a notice of monetary penalty totalling C$100,000 by the registrar of the AGCO for alleged responsible gambling failures.

This followed fines being issued to three operators – Bunchberry Limited ($15,000), Mobile Incorporated Limited ($30,000) and LeoVegas Games ($25,000) – totalling $70,000 for violations of its standards for internet gaming regarding game integrity.

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Earlier in the year, the Ontario Provincial Police Investigation and Enforcement Bureau, embedded within the AGCO, brought charges against five individuals over claims that an electronic craps dealer was in collusion with these patrons.

Subsequently, a compliance review was conducted by the AGCO’s regulatory arm regarding adherence to the Gaming Control Act 1992, which found that the gaming venue had failed to detect or take appropriate action regarding the scheme. This, the AGCO said, included: 

• Internal financial reports and emails indicating substantial and atypical losses from the electronic craps game over a six-month period of time not being effectively acted upon.
• Table games supervisors were often absent from the craps table when suspicious gambling activities occurred.
• Video surveillance recordings show that the electronic craps game failed to follow required rules and procedures and lacked effective supervision.
• Despite Casino Woodbine previously issued the dealer with seven procedural violations for inappropriately pushing dice to patrons before closing bets, however, the individual was allowed to continue dealing electronic craps.

The facility, which fully cooperated with the regulatory review and committed to addressing deficiencies, was found to have violated multiple sections of the aforementioned Act. Casino Woodbine has the right to appeal.

“Ontario’s gaming laws require casino operators to implement effective controls to limit the risk of criminal activity, including cheating and collusion between patrons and casino staff,” the AGCO noted.

“In addition to these penalties, the AGCO will continue monitoring to ensure Casino Woodbine appropriately addresses their controls to better detect and prevent casino cheats and dealer collusion.”

Last month, the AGCO banned the use of athletes in igaming advertising and marketing material across the Canadian province. 

As a result of the amended standards, a prohibition has been placed on registered Ontario operators regarding the usage of athletes, whether active or retired, except for the exclusive purpose of advocating for responsible gambling practices. 

In addition, this also restricts the use of celebrities, role models, social media influencers, entertainers, cartoon figures, and symbols that “would likely be expected to appeal to minors”

Apollo Entertainment was also served a notice of monetary penalty totalling C$100,000 for alleged responsible gambling failures.

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As a result of the amended standards, a prohibition will be placed on registered Ontario operators regarding the usage of athletes, whether active or retired, except for the exclusive purpose of advocating for responsible gambling practices. 

In addition, this also restricts the use of celebrities, role models, social media influencers, entertainers, cartoon figures, and symbols that “would likely be expected to appeal to minors”

This broadens and strengthens an existing standard that, prior to this change, prohibited the use of advertising and marketing content with a “primary appeal to minors”.

The additions to the AGCO standards for online gaming will officially come into effect on February 28, 2024.

“Children and youth are heavily influenced by the athletes and celebrities they look up to,” said Tom Mungham, Registrar and CEO of the AGCO. 

“We’re therefore increasing measures to protect Ontario’s youth by disallowing the use of these influential figures to promote online betting in Ontario.”

The crown agency noted that it had identified advertising and marketing approaches that use athletes, as well as celebrities with an appeal to minors, as a potential marker of harm to those under the legal gaming age during the first full year of the region’s regulated digital marketplace.

Initial steps taken to reduce the risk included consultations on its proposal to ban such ads, with submissions received from a broad range of stakeholders that included mental health and public health organisations, responsible gambling experts, gaming operators, broadcast and marketing groups, and the public.

Following these, it was determined that prohibiting the use of athletes and restricting celebrity endorsements would help safeguard children and youth who can be particularly susceptible to such content.

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585

Entain CEO Jette Nygaard-Andersen stated that the group is on track to achieve strategic targets after net gaming revenue increased 14 per cent to £2.4bn (2022: £2.1bn), gross profit rose by 10 per cent to £1.5bn (2022: £1.3bn) and underlying EBITDA improved by 6 per cent to £499m (2022: £471m).

The group’s profit after tax did fall substantially, however, dipping from £28m to a loss of £502m year-on-year and net debt standing at £2.6bn.

Included in this loss is a £585m provision for a settlement with HMRC, which is currently investigating Entain’s now divested Turkish business, sold back in 2017.

Entain cited that its deferred prosecution agreement negotiations were progressing and the company anticipates judicial approval for the settlement during Q4 2023.

1.5

PENN Entertainment rebranded its sportsbook offerings from Barstool Sportsbook to ESPN Bet, securing an exclusive right to the ESPN Bet trademark in the US for an initial 10-year term, which may also be extended for an additional decade upon mutual agreement.

In exchange, ESPN will receive $1.5bn in cash payments during the initial term, with the group also granted $500m of warrants to purchase approximately 31.8 million PENN common shares. 

If performance thresholds are met, such as a 20 per cent market share, ESPN could receive bonus warrants to purchase up to an additional approximately 6.4 million PENN common shares.

The deal is expected to deliver an estimated $500m to $1bn of annual long-term adjusted EBITDA to PENN’s interactive segment.

38

Flutter Entertainment reported that its US business has reached a profitability inflection point after FanDuel generated $100m (£79m) in adjusted EBITDA.

Publishing its 2023 interim results, Flutter declared group revenue of £4.8bn, a 38 per cent uptick (24 per cent pro forma) in comparison to the previous year (H1 2022: £3.4bn) which the company attributed to a strong US performance and momentum in UK & Ireland and International, along with the addition of Sisal in August 2022.

Sports betting revenue improved by 39 per cent to £3bn (2022: £2.1bn) while gaming rose by 37 per cent to £1.8bn (2022: £1.3bn).

Average monthly players rose during the period as well by 28 per cent year-over-year to over 12 billion (2022: 9.6 billion).

Flutter noted that the group is at an “earnings transformation point” after adjusted EBITDA rose by 72 per cent (37 per cent pro forma) to £823m with a significant improvement coming from US operations, improving to £49m in comparison to a £132m loss in H1 2022.

Group ex-US adjusted EBITDA increased by 24 per cent (4 per cent pro forma) following “strong top-line momentum and the addition of Sisal”, which performed well in H1, partly offset by tax changes in Australia.

Flutter’s profit after tax came in at £128m, an increase on the loss of £112m the previous year after a £314m charge for amortisation of acquired intangibles. As of June 30 2023, net debt currently stands at £4.6bn and a pro forma leverage ratio of 3.3 times.

100,000

Apollo Entertainment was served a notice of monetary penalty totalling C$100,000 by the registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario for alleged responsible gambling failures.

According to the AGCO, Apollo allegedly violated multiple responsible gambling provisions of the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming – 2.01, 2.11, 2.12, 2.14 and 2.23.

Alleged violations of the standards include, but are not limited to:

• Failing to conduct required interventions with players who may be experiencing gambling-related harms. One player experienced over $2m in losses in under four months without receiving interventions from the operator during that period.
• Failing to implement an adequate voluntary self-exclusion programme and provide insufficient tools for players to set financial and time-based gambling limits.
• Failing to ensure employees understood responsible gambling importance, including assisting players who may be experiencing gambling-related harms.

The AGCO added that Apollo has been responsive to the regulatory findings, noting that it has “already taken significant steps to strengthen the control environment on its sites to address the shortcomings identified by the AGCO”.

24.7

Records continue to tumble for Bragg Gaming after the company reported a revenue high of €24.7m in the second quarter of 2023.

Commenting on the results, CEO Yaniv Sherman noted that the performance reflects a “continued shift towards a revenue mix of higher-margin products” for the igaming provider, which has also tightened its 2023 revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance range.

Publishing its Q2 results, Bragg declared revenue of €24.7m, up 18.9 per cent year-over-year (Q2 2022: €20.8m) and an improvement on Q1’s €22.9m. Gross profit also improved by 18.9 per cent in comparison to the previous year to €13.8m (2022: €11.6m).

Meanwhile, the provider’s adjusted EBITDA rose by 51.3 per cent in Q2 to €4.7m (2022: €3.1m) with a new quarterly high AEBITDA margin of 19.2 per cent, up 410-basis points YoY (2022: 15.1 per cent).

By the end of Q2, cash flow from operations stood at €5.2m (2022: €7.6m) while cash and cash equivalents came in at €10.7m and net working capital, excluding deferred consideration, was €8.3m.

Sherman noted that the gains seen by Bragg in Q2 can be attributed to “initiatives to focus the business to be a leading content-driven igaming B2B provider combined with disciplined expense management”.

The CEO also stated the results benefited from a “continued shift towards a revenue mix of higher-margin products including in-house created proprietary and exclusive third-party content, turn-key Player Account Management and managed services partnerships,” which helped to drive the quarterly record for AEBITDA margin.

500

Light & Wonder finally secured an approximately $500m definitive agreement to acquire the remaining 17 per cent interest in SciPlay that it does not currently own, bringing the developer and publisher under its full ownership.

This purchase price of $22.95 per share in an all-cash transaction represents an increase from May’s $20 per share offer, which accounted for an enterprise value of $2.1bn.

As a result, SciPlay will cease to be publicly traded and will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of L&W.

The online gaming group has cited an array of plus points that it believes will increase shareholder value following completion, with seamless collaboration highlighted as one of these.

In addition, adding further momentum to the company’s cross-platform strategy, flexibility for the use of SciPlay cash flows for investments, and the facilitation of long-term margin enhancement opportunities via synergies are also recognised as major benefits of the deal.

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This follows an audit of the gaming establishment, with the move said to have been made “in order to protect the public interest and ensure Ontario’s casino gaming sector operates responsibly and with integrity”.

These breaches of the Registrar’s Standards for Gaming follow an AGCO inspection that assessed HR Ottawa’s compliance.

“The Standards exist to protect Ontarians and audits of gaming operators are one of the tools the AGCO regularly uses as part of its regulatory oversight of the gaming industry,” an AGCO media statement noted.

In total, 36 violations were identified which found that the property had allegedly provided advertising and marketing materials to individuals who had self-excluded from gambling activities.

Repeated failures to implement, follow, and enforce required anti-money laundering policies and procedures were also reportedly discovered, alongside an-address on matters of concern identified by internal auditors in a timely manner.

Furthermore, it is also said that the group had not ensured that staff completed necessary training in important areas like anti-money laundering policies and procedures, nor maintained a compliance oversight function that was not independent of the company’s operations, as is required.

Finally, the probe also alleges that HR Ottawa and the Rideau Carleton Casino venue failed to sufficiently protect gaming systems and data from security vulnerabilities, in accordance with established industry and technology good practices.

Tom Mungham, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the AGCO, commented: “The AGCO has the mandate and the responsibility to ensure casinos are operating with honesty, integrity, and in the public interest. 

“These penalties are intended to drive the improvements needed at the Rideau Carleton Casino, and we will be carefully monitoring the casino’s activities to ensure these significant audit findings are addressed.”

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The order served to the DraftKings subsidiary totals $100,000 and is said to be to “protect the public interest” and ensure Ontario’s igaming market operates “responsibly and with integrity”. 

“The AGCO will continue to monitor the activities of all registered operators and hold them to high standards of responsible gambling, player protection and game integrity,” said Tom Mungham, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar – AGCO. 

“It is in the public interest that we ensure they are meeting their obligations under Ontario’s Gaming Control Act and the Standards.”

Despite Ontario strictly prohibiting broad public advertising of bonuses and other gambling inducements (Standard 2.05), between May 19 and May 31 2022, Crown DK CAN allegedly “distributed widely” multiple broad gambling inducements that “included that of boosted 2:1 odds” via television and social media channels.

Put in place “to protect Ontarians”, the Standards are said to include “clear restrictions” on the advertising of inducements, bonuses or credits, “except when they are on an operator’s site, or through direct advertising and marketing issued after receiving active player consent”.

A registered operator served with an Order of Monetary Penalty by the AGCO has the right to appeal the Registrar’s action to the Licence Appeal Tribunal – an adjudicative tribunal independent of the AGCO and part of Tribunals Ontario.

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