Ontario’s Alcohol and Gaming Commission most recently fined Apollo Entertainment for violating the state’s liability gambling requirements. 온라인카지노 The locally licensed company received a total fine notice of C$100,000 for violations related to multiple violations of its liability gambling protocols.
AGCO’s Responsible Gambling Framework comes from a comprehensive review of strategies used in key global jurisdictions. The initiative also includes extensive engagement with stakeholders, including Ontario’s Responsible Gambling Division. The established standards cover a range of key concerns related to high-risk gambling across aspects such as prevention, awareness raising, timely intervention and support.
In the media, AGCO explained that Apollo Entertainment violated several liability gambling protocols in the Internet Game Registrar Standard. This includes not performing the interventions required of users who may experience gambling-related issues. This relates to players who have lost more than C$2 million in less than four months without operator intervention.
Regulators also explained that operators failed to implement appropriate voluntary self-exclusion programs and provided players with sufficient tools to set monetary and time gambling limits. Gambling brands also say they haven’t made sure their employees understand the importance of responsible play, including helping players who might experience all sorts of gambling-related issues.
However, the operator has already taken steps to improve the control environment of the website to address identified deficiencies in response to regulatory authority findings. In addition, the operator who has been served with the penalty notice has the right to appeal the Registrar’s action to the License Appeals Tribunal, which operates separately from AGCO.
Tom Mungham, CEO and Registrar of AGCO, said the commission’s goal is to ensure Ontario people enjoy iGaming on a site that operates fairly and responsibly and provides the necessary player protection. He reminded user players that all operators are obliged to proactively monitor indicators of high-risk gambling and take appropriate action.
Apollo Entertainment’s case is not the first time AGCO has penalized a state-licensed operator for violating Internet gambling standards. In June 2023, the watchdog imposed monetary fines on BV Gaming and Fitzdares Canada Limited for providing illegal betting to Canada’s major junior hockey. The three fines totaled C$30,000.
Earlier, regulators re-engaged in the activities of operators in 2023, imposing fines on three gambling brands – Come on!, Conscundador and Leo Vegas.