The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has issued new guidance for iGaming operators, focusing on enhanced practices to identify and support players at risk of gambling-related harm. This move aligns with the regulator’s ongoing efforts to ensure a safer and more compliant online gambling environment in the province, while simultaneously reinforcing warnings to media platforms against promoting unregulated online gambling sites.

The new recommendations provided by the AGCO for iGaming operators are published under the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming - Standards 2.10 and 2.11.

Enhanced Guidance for Player Protection

The AGCO states, as reported by iGaming Times, that operators must establish an effective mechanism for monitoring player behaviour to identify those who may be at risk of harm, and subsequently offer timely support once signs of risk emerge. This mechanism should address the different ways in which gambling-related harm can occur, with identifying such players being a key part of an operator’s responsibility to minimise gambling-related harms.

The AGCO expects, as reported by iGaming Times, the use of both automated and manual tools to monitor players’ behaviour and utilise relevant indicators. Operators are specifically required to intervene in a manner that is timely, matches the level of risk and severity of the situation, and to use technology to scale the delivery of tailored interventions. Operators are also expected to evaluate the impact of these interventions to make continuous improvements to their responsible gambling protocols.

AGCO Warns Media Over Unregulated Gambling Promotion

In parallel with the new guidance for operators, the AGCO recently contacted more than a dozen traditional and digital media platforms, urging them, as reported by iGaming Times, to stop promoting unregulated online gambling and sports betting sites to Ontario residents. The regulator argued, as reported by iGaming Times, that legitimate media platforms were “providing a veneer of legitimacy to unregulated and high-risk sites and creating confusion for Ontarians.”

The Canadian regulator specifically named Bodog, operated by Il Nido, as one offshore operator actively targeting Ontarians. The AGCO noted, as reported by iGaming Times, that despite blocking players in Quebec and Nova Scotia, Bodog continues to allow Ontarians to access its sites “while advertising heavily on traditional and digital media platforms targeting Ontarians.”

In conclusion, the AGCO’s new guidance reinforces operators’ obligations for proactive player monitoring and intervention in responsible gambling, while its warnings to media platforms underscore a determined effort to combat unregulated online gambling promotion in Ontario and protect consumers from unlicensed offerings. The regulator’s actions demonstrate a comprehensive approach to ensuring a safer and more compliant iGaming environment in the province.