The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has most currently imposed a fine on Apollo Entertainment for violating the province’s responsible gambling requirements. The locally licensed company received a notice of a monetary penalty totalling CA$100,000 for its alleged breaches, which are related to multiple violations of responsible gambling protocols.
AGCO’s responsible gambling framework stemmed from a comprehensive examination of strategies employed in prominent global jurisdictions. This initiative also involved extensive engagement with stakeholders, including Ontario’s responsible gambling sector. Its established Standards encompass a diverse array of critical concerns related to high-risk gambling, spanning aspects such as prevention, consciousness-raising, timely intervention, and assistance.
Reasoning Behind the Fine
In its press, AGCO elaborated that Apollo Entertainment violated multiple of the responsible gambling protocols in the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming. This includes failing to perform required interventions with users who may suffer gambling-related issues. It is related to a player suffering over CA$2 million in losses in under four months, without the operator’s interference.
The regulator further explained that the operator also failed to implement an adequate voluntary self-exclusion program, and provided insufficient tools for players to set financial and time-based gambling limits. The gambling brand reportedly also failed to make sure that its employees understood the importance of responsible play, including helping players who may experience any sort of gambling-related problems.
However, the operator has been responsive to the regulator’s findings and has already taken steps to boost the control environment on its websites to address the identified deficiencies. Also, the operator who was served a Notice of Monetary Penalty has the right to appeal the Registrar’s action to the Licence Appeal Tribunal, which operates separately from the AGCO.
Tom Mungham, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of AGCO stated the commission’s objective is to make sure that Ontarians enjoy iGaming on sites that are operated fairly, responsibly, and come with required player protections. He reminded that all operators are obligated to proactively monitor user players for indicators of high-risk gambling and take appropriate actions.
Not the First Instance
This case with Apollo Entertainment is not the first instance of AGCO penalizing a provincially-licensed operator for breaching the Internet Gambling Standards. In June 2023, the watchdog imposed monetary fines on BV Gaming and Fitzdares Canada Limited for offering illegal bets on Canadian major junior hockey. The three fines were in total of CA$30,000.
Earlier in 2023, the regulator intervened again with operators’ activities by imposing fines on three gambling brands – ComeOn!, Conquestador, and Leo Vegas. According to the AGCO, the three offered slots that were not licensed by the regulator or certified by an independent testing laboratory. Hence, violating 4.08 and 4.09 of the provincial’s Standards.
Source: “AGCO issues $100,000 in penalties to Apollo Entertainment for violations of internet gaming responsible gambling standards” GlobeNewswire, August 10, 2023
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