The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has imposed a $120,000 monetary penalty on Ontario Gaming GTA Limited Partnership, the operator of Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, after uncovering a dealer-assisted cheating operation that allegedly went undetected by the casino’s staff.
Multiple cheating tactics allegedly used:
The fine stems from a March 2024 investigation led by the Ontario Provincial Police’s Investigation and Enforcement Bureau (IEB), which is embedded within the AGCO. The IEB laid charges against five individuals following allegations that two table game dealers colluded with a group of players to manipulate outcomes and obtain approximately $20,000 in winnings in under a week.
According to the AGCO’s compliance review, the involved dealers used several prohibited tactics to aid the patrons. These included revealing cards that were meant to stay face down, improperly overdrawing cards for themselves, and overpaying players on winning bets.
Regulatory findings revealed that surveillance personnel and pit supervisors at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto failed to detect these breaches, and staff responsible for auditing table game activity neglected essential procedural checks. These audits are in place to maintain fair play and identify anomalies that may suggest rule violations.
The AGCO confirmed this was not the first such occurrence at the property. In a previous case from 2023, the same venue—operating under the name Casino Woodbine at the time—was fined $80,000 after another dealer was found to have aided players in an electronic craps cheating incident. That earlier case involved several oversights, including a lack of supervisory presence and failure to review required financial reports.
Second recent case of collusion at the casino:
“This is Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto’s second recent incident involving allegations of a cheat-at-play and dealer collusion at the casino,” the AGCO emphasized in its official notice.
Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the AGCO, commented: “Ontario’s registered casino operators have an obligation to ensure the integrity of game play in their casinos. This includes a responsibility to detect and prevent collusion and cheating. The AGCO will continue to monitor and take all necessary steps to uphold the integrity of gaming in Ontario’s gaming sites.”
Operators that receive a monetary penalty from the AGCO have the legal right to appeal through the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an independent adjudicative body under Tribunals Ontario.
AGCO’s growing focus on gaming integrity:
This latest enforcement action is part of a broader initiative by the AGCO to reinforce regulatory standards across Ontario’s gaming sector. In recent months, the commission has taken similar measures in other areas of gaming oversight.
In April 2024, for instance, the AGCO suspended all betting on World Boxing Association events due to unresolved concerns over match-fixing. That move followed alerts from both licensed sportsbooks and third-party monitors regarding suspicious betting activity. A similar suspension of UFC betting occurred in 2022 until new compliance rules were introduced, including restrictions on insider wagering.
The AGCO was established in 1998 and operates under the authority of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario Act, 2019. The organization reports to Ontario’s Ministry of the Attorney General and oversees all gaming activity across the province.
Source link
Vanja Mitic 2025-04-17 13:11:32
