The Legal Framework Of The Ontario Casino Industry As Stipulated By The Alcohol And Gaming Commission

By Admin Last updated Jul 5, 2022 23

The provincial government of Ontario has legalized online gambling three years after they announced their move to end the industry monopoly. Ontario’s internet gambling market was launched on the 4th of April, 2022. Since then, the industry has experienced huge development, making it one of the most competitive on the continent.

The province has looked for ways to regulate the online casino industry and, for that reason, has released some standards for the operators to follow. The recent one, published last year, includes a ban on auto-play and a minimum spin of two and half seconds for slot games.

Today, the Alcohol and Gambling Commission of Ontario and iGaming Ontario have set separate requirements for Ontario casinos and players in the province. The rules ensure that both online and land-based casinos operate in the interest of the players and the area’s safety. This article will discuss the legal framework of the online casinos in Ontario as highlighted by the Alcohol and Gambling Commission.

Before highlighting the regulations, it’s important to know that two bodies are responsible for regulating the online gaming industry. They are the Alcohol and Gambling Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and the iGaming Ontario (iGO).

According to gaming expert Michelle H. Thomas, here are the functions of the two bodies:

The AGCO is responsible for regulating the iGaming market in the province.
The iGO works under AGCO and is responsible for managing internet gaming when offered through private operators.

Although both bodies work together, they clearly perform different roles in the licensing process.

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Regulations and Processes of the Online Casinos Industry in Ontario

These are the major regulations and processes involved with the online casino industry in Ontario.

1. Registration is Important

Every Ontario casino went through an application process. All signed a non-disclosure agreement with iGO and obtained the mandatory operating agreement and letter of agreement, followed by other operating requirements documents, etc.

Also, intending operators must obtain the independent testing laboratory certificate for the platform’s online games and ensure that their platform complies with the Gaming Control Act. In essence, the registration process is dual-track. Registration must be made with the AGCO, while a commercial relationship must be established with IGO.

2. Know Your Customer (KYC) is required

All platforms are required to use the “Know Your Customer” to assess their customer’s identities and understand if there’s any risk they could face.

The KYC rule is followed by collecting personal information such as name, date of birth, and address during the account creation process of new members. Then a final verification is done using an identity card, credit file check, address check, or biometric verification.

3. Money Laundering Law is Enforced

Every platform must enforce the anti-money laundering rule according to Canadian federal regulations. Operators must enforce this rule by escalating suspicious transactions to the right agencies, placing sanctions, and screening out players with suspicious motives. If any platform flouts the anti-money laundering rule, they get sanctioned with fines.

4. Website must be Unique

A rule for all online gaming operators in the province is that the website used for Ontario must be separate from other websites run by the platforms. This means that the same website used for the United States can’t be used for Ontario.

5. All Brands Must Obtain a License

A license must be obtained for all brands used in the province, except they can prove that the brand has a singular account that can be accessed from any of their websites. Also, companies that are providing gaming services to the operators must be registered by iGO.

6. Operators Don’t Have to Reside in Canada

Online casino operators don’t have to establish a business in Canada, which means foreign companies, can become licensed. Also, platforms don’t need to be rendered in a specific language.

7. Detailed Personal Information is required from Players

Operators need to validate that players are of the minimum age to register on their platform, so different details like date of birth and identity cards would be requested and saved by platforms after registration. Also, players’ contact information would be collected so crime agencies can use them when money laundering issues arise.

8. Detailed Technology Requirements must be followed

The regulation bodies ensure that the gaming systems and equipment associated with the platform are protected and secured, so customers’ funds are safe.

Also, it is imposed on operators to give system privileges to their workers according to their role and that every action on their system is traceable to specific individuals.

9. Systems Security is to be maintained

Operators are responsible for their platforms’ security and must ensure that they are updated about the latest security threats so they can fix their system if a vulnerability surfaces.

Users’ data must be maintained and protected from unauthorized access, and system data must be backed-up perfectly.

The Bottom Line

The internet is continuing to change the online gaming landscape. More online gaming platforms are coming up, and today, people choose them over land-based casinos.

Even the best casinos are now opening an online platform for their players. And for that reason, the Canadian province of Ontario has issued its standard so that the industry is maintained and players enjoy the best experience.