Originally announced in November, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and iGaming Ontario (iGO) are now officially, legally and operationally independent agencies as of May 14. This comes as the iGaming Ontario Act went into effect.
Previously, iGO reported to the AGCO, which then reported to the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG). Now that the separation has been finalised, iGO — which oversees over 50 online gambling operators offering more than 80 gambling platforms in Ontario — will report directly to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. Led by Stan Cho, this ministry is now responsible for both iGO and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).
Conflict of interest
The primary reason for the split was removing any conflict of interest. MAG was reported saying in December that the move would, “strengthen iGO’s governance and accountability structure and contribute to the continued success of Ontario’s thriving iGaming market by positioning the agency as a competitive employer and addressing a conflict-of-interest concern raised by the Auditor General.”
The conflict-of-interest between the organisations was that AGCO was tasked with providing effective regulatory oversight of the gambling sector. Meanwhile, iGO, a division under AGCO, focused specifically on online gaming and revenue generation for the province. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), which runs Ontario’s retail 바카라s and has online games, also now reports to the same ministry as iGO. This translates to oversee all the revenue-generating parts of iGO and the OLG, leaving the AGCO to regulate the entire gambling sector. MAG said separating from the would also mean, “iGO would also be better positioned to optimise its resources by enabling it to respond nimbly to shifting market management and conditions.”
‘No impact’ to either party: MAG
MAG said, “there would be no impact” to either party, calming concerns of what the separation means for gambling customers and operators. “The existing operating agreements between iGO and registered operators would be maintained, and operator relationships between both iGO and the AGCO would continue without changes. AGCO continues to regulate the gaming sector, including iGaming.”
Meanwhile, Martha Otton, the longtime executive director, postponed her retirement until March 2025. Now, iGO is officially searching for someone to wear the double hats of president and CEO.
Coming to regulation, the AGCO recently reached a settlement with Woodbine Entertainment following an investigation into horse welfare issues at the Toronto racetrack. Between 28 October and 15 December 2024, as many as 19 horses were injured while racing at Woodbine, and 10 of them had to be euthanised. On 9 November alone, six horses fell during racing and training, leading to three euthanasias and the cancellation of that day’s races. Woodbine has agreed not to contest the AGCO’s findings.
In another crackdown, the AGCO issued a penalty totalling $120,000 last month against Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto after uncovering a dealer collusion and cheat-at-play scheme that reportedly led to nearly $20,000 in illegal winnings in less than one week.
