AGCO issues fine against Great Canadian Entertainment
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario says the company used an unauthorised gaming system software at four casinos.
Canada.- The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has ordered Great Canadian Entertainment (GCE) to pay a $120,000 penalty for using unauthorised gaming system software at Ontario casinos. It said the compliance failure bypassed requirements designed to protect the integrity of casino gaming.
According to the commission, it reviewed 40 instances in which revoked or unapproved bill validator software had been installed across four casinos between February 20 and March 15, 2025. Bill validators verify the authenticity and value of cash inserted into machines. Testing and approval is required to confirm they operate as intended and perform critical functions reliably.
Karin Schnarr, chief executive officer and registrar at AGCO, said: “The AGCO requires casino operators to protect the integrity of their gaming systems by making sure they are independently tested, approved and operating as intended. When unauthorized software is used in a live casino environment, it bypasses critical safeguards that are meant to uphold the integrity of gaming and the public’s confidence in the system. The AGCO will continue to hold all casino operators accountable for meeting Ontario’s high standards of gaming system integrity.”
GCE has 15 days within which it can appeal against the penalty to Ontario’s Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT).
The AGCO recently updated its charitable lottery licensing policies for media bingo. The regulations now allow eligible charitable organisations to offer livestream bingo broadcasts.
