Ontario’s gambling regulator has ordered Booming Games (Malta) Limited to pay CA$70,000 in monetary penalties after finding that prohibited auto-play functionality remained accessible on several slot games in the province for months.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) identified the issue through its compliance activities and subsequently informed the affected iGaming operator. The auto-play function was then disabled on the games involved.
Auto-play enables slot rounds to continue automatically without requiring the player to manually initiate every spin. Ontario prohibits the feature under its game-design standards, with the restriction intended to ensure that players make an active decision before placing each successive wager.
The requirement to manually start individual spins creates a break between wagers, giving players an opportunity to assess their activity and decide whether to continue. The regulator considers those pauses part of its approach to limiting prolonged and uninterrupted gambling sessions.
Investigation Finds Testing and Monitoring Failures
The AGCO investigation found shortcomings in the way Booming Games handled certain titles both before and after their release in Ontario. According to the regulator, the supplier failed to properly configure, test and monitor the affected games.
Booming Games holds registration as a gaming supplier in Ontario, which makes it responsible for ensuring that its products comply with provincial standards before launch and throughout their operational lifecycle.
The violations relate to two requirements under the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming. The regulator found that the supplier breached Requirement 2 of Standard 2.16 by providing slot games containing auto-play functionality. It also cited Requirement 3 of Standard 4.09, which requires continued monitoring and testing of gaming systems and gaming supplies to demonstrate that they operate as approved.
The monetary penalties were imposed under Ontario’s Gaming Control Act, 1992 and its regulations.
Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the AGCO, said:
“Ontario’s game design standards are fundamental player-protection measures built into the regulated igaming market – they are not optional technical requirements. Registered suppliers must have effective controls in place to prevent prohibited features from reaching Ontario players. When those safeguards are not respected, the AGCO will take regulatory action.”
Ontario Maintains Restrictions on Slot Design
Ontario has prohibited auto-play on slot games since 2021 and applies game-design requirements intended to limit features associated with greater speed, intensity and continuity of gambling.
Along with the auto-play ban, the province imposes minimum time requirements between spins. Its standards also prevent game features from presenting losses in a way that resembles a win through celebratory sounds or other potentially misleading feedback.
The framework places responsibility on registered suppliers to build these protections directly into the games made available in Ontario’s regulated market.
The provincial regulated iGaming sector has continued to expand since its launch. Data cited for the period from April 2024 through March 2025 showed CA$3.20 billion in gross gambling revenue, representing growth of 32% compared with the previous year. Separate commission data indicated that almost 84% of people participating in online gambling used regulated sites.
Supplier Can Seek a Tribunal Hearing
Booming Games can challenge the monetary penalty order through Ontario’s Licence Appeal Tribunal. A registered supplier that receives an Order of Monetary Penalty has 15 days to request a hearing.
The Licence Appeal Tribunal operates as an adjudicative body within Tribunals Ontario and functions independently from the AGCO.
The case adds another enforcement action connected to Ontario’s requirements for gaming suppliers, with the regulator focusing specifically on whether approved games continue to comply after entering the market.
Source:
AGCO orders $70,000 penalty on Booming Games for undermining player protection with prohibited auto-play feature, newswire.ca, August 20, 2026
