Ontario Regulator Fines Two Casino Suppliers After Games Appear on Unregulated Sites

^{Relax Gaming Limited and Arrise Solutions Limited have been fined $40,000 each by the AGCO following an investigation. (Image: The Canadian Press, Alamy)}

Ontario's gaming regulator has fined two online casino suppliers $40,000 each after their games turned up on unregulated gambling sites accessible to players in the province.

Following an investigation, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) handed down the fines to Relax Gaming Limited and Arrise Solutions Limited, two B2B companies that develop slot and casino games for gambling operators.

Both suppliers are currently registered with the AGCO to provide their products to online casinos in Ontario's regulated iGaming market, but the AGCO found their games were also appearing on unregulated sites also available to players in Ontario.

The AGCO prohibits companies that operate in its regulated provincial market from offering their products and services to unregulated brands that are also accessible to Ontario players.

The AGCO says such practices help sustain the unregulated market, which it says does not guarantee player protection and information security or enforce responsible gambling safeguards, and increases the risk of players being exposed to criminal activity, such as money-laundering and match-fixing.

“Ontario’s regulated iGaming market is built on clear rules designed to protect players and hold companies accountable,” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, chief executive officer and registrar of the AGCO.

“Unregulated gaming sites operate outside that framework, meaning players have no assurance of fair games, timely withdrawals, or access to meaningful dispute resolution. When regulated games appear on unregulated sites, it risks enabling a market that exposes players to real harm."

Following notification from AGCO about its investigation, both Relax Gaming Limited and Arrise Solutions Limited cooperated fully and promptly restricted access to their games by Ontario players on unregulated sites.

This is not the first action the AGCO has taken this year against gambling companies it believes have fallen foul of its regulations.

In February, the regulator moved to suspend PointsBet for failing to report suspicious NBA prop bets linked to former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter. In January, FanDuel Canada was fined $350,000 for failing to identify and report suspicious betting patterns on table tennis.