With the evolving views of society and to better reflect their maturity, the AGCO continues to refine its role in the promotion of social responsibility in the alcohol, gaming, horse racing and cannabis industries and sectors.
A focus on responsible gambling is a key factor in the public’s confidence in the gaming industry. A greater emphasis on responsible use is a continued focus during the continued modernization of the liquor sector. Public interest in the wellbeing of racehorses spotlights our ongoing commitment to the integrity and safety of horse racing. With the legalization of cannabis, the AGCO works to ensure that the retail sale of cannabis in Ontario is carried out with honesty, integrity, and in the public interest.
Social responsibility is an integral part of the AGCO as an organization and as a regulator. In 2019 the AGCO formally launched its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, which aims to embed CSR into the cultural fabric of the agency and to ensure that it is taken into account in regulatory and operational decisions. CSR encapsulates a range of initiatives at the AGCO that focus on supporting people both internally and externally, reducing environmental impacts and supporting its regulated industries. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, the AGCO continued to find ways to advance CSR, including through a new employer-funded Volunteer Time Off program that provides employees with the opportunity to use one day to support a charitable cause. This program is another step in the AGCO’s journey to enhance its commitment to social responsibility as an organization and make a positive impact and difference in the local community.
CSR helps provide the AGCO and its employees with a sense of purpose and motivation, and ultimately drives them to do good work.