Electronic Gaming Equipment and System Approvals
Technical and Laboratory Services Branch
Ontario’s public confidence in gaming is largely based upon the integrity and fairness of the games and gaming systems in play. The Technical and Laboratory Services (T&LS) Branch supports the regulation of gaming technology by providing expert technical assessments, services and approvals to ensure the technical integrity of gaming products and systems.
The games and technology that T&LS assesses, tests and approves are played throughout the province in all gaming sectors regulated by the AGCO including casino gaming, charitable/raffle gaming, lotteries and iGaming.
Gaming Laboratory
The AGCO Gaming Laboratory (Gaming Lab) is composed of a team of highly qualified and experienced experts in an in-house lab that is equipped with the same gaming systems used in gaming sites in Ontario. Using state-of-the-art test equipment, the team thoroughly analyzes and examines all aspects of the gaming systems.
The Gaming Lab and team are accredited to the international standard ISO 17025:2005 for testing laboratories, considered the international benchmark for excellence in testing laboratories. This achievement sets the AGCO apart as the only known gaming regulator with an in-house accredited gaming lab. The Gaming Lab's accreditation status is reconfirmed annually through internal and external audits that validate the ongoing quality of the assessments and testing performed.
In 2018-2019, the Gaming Lab received feedback through its anonymous survey of operators, with respondents indicating excellent (89%) or good (11%) ratings for customer satisfaction areas surveyed, including approval turnaround times and supporting the introduction of new technology.
TABLE 19 – Gaming Laboratory
|
|
2017-18 |
2018-19 |
|---|---|---|
|
Electronic gaming-related products requested for approval |
2,774 |
2,731 |
|
Products with regulatory issues discovered by the AGCO that |
567 |
448 |
Note: The average turnaround time for approval was 19 days, which is industry leading according to gaming-related suppliers and 21% faster than in 2017-2018. The goal is to maintain or further improve the turnaround time in the upcoming fiscal year.