CEO's Message

The 2023-2024 fiscal year saw yet another transformative period for the AGCO. I was honoured to join this organization as Registrar and CEO in September 2023, following the retirement of my esteemed colleague Tom Mungham. Throughout his remarkable 17-years at the AGCO, Tom provided exceptional leadership as the agency’s mandate expanded, taking on new initiatives to respond to and support the evolving needs in each of the sectors we regulate. I join our Board of Directors in expressing sincere thanks to Tom for his legacy of outstanding contributions to the AGCO and to the Ontarians we serve. 

A significant milestone marked the start of this fiscal year in April 2023 - the first anniversary of Ontario’s open, regulated internet gaming (igaming) market.  In partnership with iGaming Ontario, we conducted an Ipsos study to coincide with the new market’s one year anniversary. It revealed that over 85 per cent of respondents who gambled online in Ontario were now doing so on regulated sites. This represents considerable success in shifting players from gambling on unregulated sites to choosing regulated sites that provide Ontario’s high standards of game integrity and player protections. The regulated market has also provided gaming industry participants with a clear framework to enter the market, fostering innovation and economic opportunities for businesses.  

The agency’s accomplishments were not only noted here in Ontario, but once again on the world stage. In June 2023, the AGCO was recognized by the North American Gaming Regulators Association’s Excellence in Gaming Regulation Award for our world class efforts in developing and implementing the regulatory framework for Ontario’s igaming market.  

This fiscal year, we strengthened our support of the charitable gaming sector by creating improved fundraising opportunities. Following a sector consultation, the AGCO approved an expansion of hospital foundation charitable 50/50 electronic raffle ticket sales to permit them to be sold in Ontario convenience stores by retail staff. In addition, the maximum number of online raffles that charities can conduct and manage at the same time increased, from a maximum of two to four. These changes reflect our commitment to provide added flexibility and fundraising opportunities to charitable organizations, improving the lives of Ontarians.  

In December 2023, the Government of Ontario announced that alcohol sales would soon be expanded to provide more choice and convenience to Ontarians. This marks a significant upcoming change to the alcohol sector, with thousands of new retail stores in Ontario eligible to sell alcohol in this future marketplace. The AGCO will play a pivotal role in delivering this government initiative and has been working to develop a regulatory framework and implementation plan that ensures effective safeguards for the responsible sale of alcohol and facilitates market participation for eligible retailers that wish to join the sector. 

In the evolving cannabis sector, the agency continued to play a critical role in ensuring the safe, responsible and lawful sale of cannabis. This is an industry that continues to evolve. In April 2023, the City of Mississauga opted in to permit authorized cannabis retail stores. The AGCO ensured that resources were in place to support applicants through the licensing process and residents through this change. To help reduce burden on cannabis retailers, we worked with the Ontario Cannabis Store to implement a new Point-of-Sale Data Reporting Platform. The new system enables automated regulatory reporting, helping to reduce reporting burden for retailers while increasing data accuracy. 

Throughout 2023-2024, the AGCO continued to work closely with horse racing industry experts on equine welfare reforms, including making changes within the Rules of Racing to promote the welfare of equine athletes, such as to restrict the use of potentially harmful medications for horses. We also made several updates to the temporary COVID-19 rule amendments for Standardbred and Thoroughbred Rules of Racing, reflecting the lifting of public health restrictions in this sector.    

Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DI&A) remained a priority for the AGCO, as we continued to carry out a multi-year DI&A strategy. In July 2023, a dedicated DI&A Office was created to operationalize this work and to ensure that the AGCO can continue to support its culture of inclusion as an employer, and deliver inclusive, accessible, and responsive services as a service provider.  

Our current Strategic Plan comes to its conclusion at the end of this fiscal year and we are currently working to establish the agency’s next Strategic Plan. As part of the development, we’ve broadly consulted with our internal and external stakeholders on their perspectives and priorities of strategic goals that align with AGCO’s vision and mandate. Work continues to finalize the goals, initiatives, and outcomes to begin implementing the plan next year.

Over the year, we also continued to prioritize our Digital Strategy and the digital enablement of our work to strengthen our ability to make evidence-based decisions that support our risk-based compliance model and enhance regulatory effectiveness. 

This fiscal year closed with a significant distinction for the AGCO, as we were selected as one of Greater Toronto's Top 2024 Employers. This annual designation recognizes employers for providing outstanding workplaces and best practices for their employees. The entire organization rightfully took great pride in this recognition. 

Looking forward, we will continue our journey to be a world-class regulator that is innovative, proactive, inclusive, and socially responsible. We will continue to work closely with our government partners including the Ministry of the Attorney General, as well as our diverse sectors of stakeholders, to develop and uphold outcomes-based standards in the interest of Ontarians. 

Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and CEO