The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario which oversees gambling in the Heartland Province has issued a sizeable monetary fine to Ontario Gaming GTA Limited Partnership. The penalty is about an incident at Casino Woodbine, where a table game dealer was caught red-handed in colluding with patrons and was accused of a cheat-at-play.
The case dates back to April 2023, when the Ontario Province Police and Enforcement Bureau investigation in conjunction with the AGCO led to criminal charges against five individuals. These charges derive from an inquiry into allegations that an electronic craps dealer at the Toronto casinos was scheming with those patrons to defraud the gaming amenity.
Slapped with a CA$80,000 Fine
After the investigation, AGCOās Regulatory Compliance Branch conducted a thorough compliance review to assess the casinoās commitment to the Gaming Control Act, 1992 and the Registrarās Standards for Gaming. The regulator determined the establishment failed to detect or take appropriate action to prevent the cheat-at-play and the dealer collusion scheme.
The investigation concluded that internal financial reports and emails saw drastic and abnormal losses from electronic craps games over a six-month window, but the casino did not act on it. Also, table games supervisors were commonly not present at the craps table when suspicious gambling transpired. Video footage also confirmed the casino failed to follow the required rules and protocols.
Furthermore, AGCOās statement continues that although the casino had issued the dealer with seven violations for inappropriately pushing dice to patrons before closing bets, the dealer was allowed to continue dealing with electronic craps. Still, the gaming property fully cooperated with the watchdogās regulatory review and it is now committed to addressing its deficiencies.
After the review, the operator was issued a Monetary Penalty by the regulator in the size of CA$80,000. However, the gaming operator has the right to appeal the Registrarās decision to the License Appeal Tribunal. According to the AGCO, in its inability to prevent the cheat-at-play the casino property breached Standards 4.3, 4.14, and 6.1 of the Registrarās Standards for Gaming.
Online Operators are also Under Scrutiny
As a regulator for all legal gambling in the province, AGCO has also sanctioned monetary penalties to private iGaming operators who are licensed to offer lawful gaming in the jurisdiction. This includes a CA$48,000 to Unibet over breaching the provincial rules by publishing and broadcasting ads stating that offered generous welcome bonuses for new users.
Before that, the iGaming regulator also fined BetMGM and PointsBet Canada for alleged advertising and inducement breaches. BetMGM was fined CA$48,000 for failing to comply with Standard 2.04 and 2.05. While PointsBet Canada was penalized CA$30,000 for also breaching Standard 2.05. Standard 2.04 prohibits companies from marketing gambling inducements, bonuses, and credits unless a player has given active consent.
Source: āAGCO issues $80,000 penalty related to dealer cheat scheme at Woodbine Casinoā GlobeNewswire, September 13, 2023
