To the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario
Opinion
I have audited the financial statements of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (the AGCO), which comprise the statements of financial position as at March 31, 2022 and March 31, 2021, and the statements of operations and accumulated deficit, change in net debt and cash flows for the years then ended, and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies.
In my opinion, the accompanying financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the AGCO as at March 31, 2022 and March 31, 2021, and the results of its operations and accumulated deficit, changes in its net debt and its cash flows for the years then ended in accordance with Canadian public sector accounting standards.
Basis for Opinion
I conducted my audits in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. My responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements section of my report. I am independent of the AGCO in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to my audits of the financial statements in Canada, and I have fulfilled my other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. I believe that the audit evidence I have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for my opinion.
Responsibilities of Management and Those Charged with Governance for the Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with Canadian public sector accounting standards, and for such internal control as management determines is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, management is responsible for assessing the AGCO’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the AGCO either intends to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.
Those charged with governance are responsible for overseeing the AGCO’s financial reporting process.
Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements
My objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes my opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.
As part of an audit in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards, I exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit. I also:
- Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for my opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.
- Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the AGCO’s internal control.
- Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by management.
- Conclude on the appropriateness of management’s use of the going concern basis of accounting and based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the AGCO’s ability to continue as a going concern. If I conclude that a material uncertainty exists, I am required to draw attention in my auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify my opinion. My conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of my auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the AGCO to cease to continue as a going concern.
- Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
I communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that I identify during my audit.
Bonnie Lysyk, MBA, FCPA, FCA, LPA
Auditor General
Toronto, Ontario
August 10, 2022
Download a PDF version of this document
Box 105, 15th Floor
20 Dundas Street West
Toronto, Ontario
M5G 2C2
416-327-2381
fax 416-326-3812