Operational Performance

Licensing & Registration Activities 

The AGCO provides services to a wide group of licensees, registrants, and authorization holders. The Operations Division is responsible for reviewing and processing new, renewal and amendment applications for licences, permits, authorizations, and registrations for the sectors regulated by the AGCO.

Highlights for licensing and registration activities in 2023-24 include the continued processing of steady volumes of applications related to cannabis retail operators and retail store authorizations including changes of ownership. In addition, several net new registrations were issued to internet gaming operators and gaming-related suppliers to support the competitive and open internet gaming market in Ontario. 
 

Education and Compliance Activities

The AGCO promotes compliance with relevant legislation, regulations, and Registrar’s Standards to protect public interest and align with government and ministry priorities. The AGCO’s compliance approach is risk-based and outcome-focused. 

• Risk-based refers to the regulatory risks underlying the Standards, regulations, laws, and requirements. A risk-based compliance approach focuses the greatest resources on mitigating the highest risk areas. 
• Outcome-focused emphasizes the results that regulated sectors are meant to achieve, rather than prescriptive activities that must be carried out.   

The AGCO proactively provides education to stakeholder and licence-holders in all sectors to increase their understanding of regulatory obligations and improve overall compliance. 

The following tables reflects the compliance activities undertaken in 2023-24 across the indicated sectors.

* The category “Miscellaneous Compliance Activity” may include, but is not limited to, compliance activity driven by intelligence or investigation activity, the Mystery Shopper Program (where applicable) or criminal charges.

Internet gaming compliance conducts a full suite of modern compliance assurance activities that provide reasonable assurance of compliance for regulated entities and technology. 

* 2022-23 Ontario Cannabis Store Annual Report

In 2023-24, AGCO focused on the following igaming compliance priorities:

• Responsible Advertising: Oversight of potentially harmful public advertising and messaging, and advertising that is appealing to minors.
  • Ontario prohibits the broad, public advertising of bonuses, credits, and other gambling inducements, and as of February 28, 2024, prohibits the use of individuals who would likely be expected to appeal to minors and athletes except for the exclusive purpose for advocating for responsible gambling practices. 
  • In the fall of 2023, AGCO conducted broad industry consultations to inform the development of guidance for this new advertising standard and has since been working with operators to support them in their ongoing compliance.  
• Responsible Gambling: Protection of players from experiencing harm from gambling. 
  • AGCO conducts proactive reviews of operator controls for minimizing harm from gambling, which can prompt compliance investigations where risks are identified. When these investigations uncover violations, AGCO works with operators to bring them into compliance. 
• Sport and Event Betting: Ensuring that integrity safeguards are in place to address risks of match fixing and insider betting. 
  • AGCO performs regulatory reviews to ensure that betting markets being offered in Ontario are adequately safeguarded against match-fixing and insider betting.  One such review resulted in AGCO requiring Ontario gaming operators to stop offering World Boxing Association (WBA) events.
• Game Integrity: Requiring certification of all games and critical gaming systems linked to determination of game outcome. 
  • AGCO conducts random spot testing of certified games to ensure that games are designed with integrity, games are not misleading, and game designs meet the intent of the standards. The AGCO works with game manufacturers and independent test labs to ensure all parties are interpreting standards correctly and meeting regulatory expectations. 

Gaming Technology Regulation 

Ontario’s public confidence in gaming is largely based upon the integrity and fairness of the games and gaming systems in play. AGCO ensures the technical integrity of gaming technology by developing minimum technical standards for gaming products testing and providing approvals of games and related gaming systems. This technology is used throughout the province in all gaming industries and sectors regulated by the AGCO, including casino gaming, charitable gaming, lotteries, and internet gaming. 

In 2023–24, the AGCO’s in-house and internationally accredited testing laboratory conducted its annual survey of regulated entities, reaching out to Gaming-Related Suppliers to request their anonymous evaluation and feedback. 92 per cent of respondents indicated they are satisfied or very satisfied with the overall service they receive from the testing laboratory. The following chart captures the various product testing activities conducted by the AGCO.
 

For internet gaming, the AGCO has modernized the approach for the certification of internet gaming technology against the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming by registered independent test labs rather than testing this technology inhouse and providing AGCO approvals.

Investigation & Enforcement Activities

The Investigation and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) conducts investigations across all sectors regulated by the AGCO. The Bureau provides investigative expertise to, and shares information with, other law enforcement agencies and regulatory and industry stakeholder agencies to ensure integrity and public safety within these regulated industries and sectors. IEB also focuses on critical strategic priorities such as Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Human Trafficking initiatives. 

The IEB Anti–Human Trafficking Working Group collaborates with the OPP Anti–Human Trafficking Unit, Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario, and municipal partners to proactively focus on these activities. Members of IEB continue to provide training to service providers at all casino locations across the province on an ongoing basis. 

The following tables represent the number of investigations the Bureau conducted in 2023-24. 
 

Customer Service Activities

The AGCO’s Contact Centre handles over 100,000 customer interactions yearly across a range of channels. It provides oversight of the agency’s inquiries and complaints handling policy and ensures the customer experience is monitored, measured and managed. The following tables show interactions via the AGCO’s customer service channels, communications with stakeholders, and members of the Ontario public as of March 2024.