AGCO issues first penalties to BetMGM Canada and PointsBet Canada

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission for Ontario has sanctioned the operators for breaching advertising rules.

Canada.- The Alcohol and Gaming Commission for Ontario (AGCO) issued its first fines for breaches of regulations just one month after Ontario’s igaming market opened. It’s fined BetMGM Canada for infractions of standards for advertising and inducements.

The standards include restrictions on advertising of inducements, bonuses, or credits and state that marketing, advertising and promotions must be truthful and not misleading or misrepresentative. Materials must not imply that the chance of winning increases the more spent.

The AGCO said that BetMGM Canada had been served penalties totalling $48,000 for failure to comply with Standards 2.04 and 2.05. PointsBet Canada has been issued a fine of $30,000 for failure to comply with Standard 2.05.

Tom Mungham, chief executive officer and registrar, AGCO, said: “The AGCO holds all registered operators to high standards of responsible gambling, player protection and game integrity, and monitors their activities to ensure they are meeting their obligations under Ontario’s Gaming Control Act and the Standards.”