AGCO aims to stop unregulated gaming in c-stores
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) in its continuing its efforts to combat unregulated gambling announced that it is now taking steps to crack down on unapproved electronic gambling machines in convenience stores in Ontario.
As part of this crackdown, the AGCO said that in July it moved to revoke the lottery seller registrations of a number of retailers in the GTA that were found to be offering unapproved electronic gambling machines under the Prime Slot brand.
The AGCO regulates all gambling in the province of Ontario to ensure gambling products and gaming sites are held to high standards of game integrity, player safety, and the protection of minors and vulnerable individuals. Under Section 10(b) of the Gaming Control Act, the Registrar shall refuse to register an applicant as a supplier or to renew the registration of an applicant as a supplier if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the applicant will not act as a supplier in accordance with law, or with integrity, honesty, or in the public interest.
Under Section 12 of the Gaming Control Act, the Registrar may propose to suspend or to revoke a registration for any reason that would disentitle the registrant to registration or renewal of registration under section 10 if the registrant were an applicant.
A registered lottery seller served with a Notice of Proposed Order to revoke their registration has the right to appeal the AGCO’s action within 15 days to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative tribunal that is part of Tribunals Ontario and independent of the AGCO.
Over the past decade, unregulated gaming machines have increasingly proliferated across North America. While they largely rely on chance like traditional slot machines, manufacturers have claimed they are games of skill and have installed terminals in convenience stores and other locations where gaming machines would otherwise be prohibited.
"Unapproved gambling machines have no business being in convenience stores or other locations, particularly those that are available to children and youth," said Dr. Karin Schnarr, chief executive officer and registrar, AGCO
The AGCO said it will continue to take every action within its authority to protect the public against the risks that these unregulated machines pose, particularly in locations easily accessible to children and youth.
