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The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has fined Great Canadian Entertainment (GCE) $120,000. The company used software on bill validators at four Ontario casinos without the required approval, regulators found.
The regulator identified 40 instances between Feb. 20 and March 15, 2025, involving bill validators. These are the components inside slot machines that verify and process cash inserted by players. Under Ontario’s gaming standards, gaming equipment and software must be independently tested and approved. Only then can it be deployed in a live casino environment.
Software Plays Key Role in Casino Security
Bill validators authenticate currency to detect counterfeits, record cash transactions, and feed information into broader casino monitoring systems. Thus, they play an important role in a casino’s anti-money laundering controls.
Gaming equipment cannot enter a regulated Ontario casino without independent testing. That testing confirms proper performance and compliance with AGCO’s Standards for Gaming.
The approval process is designed to confirm accurate processing of wagers and payments, along with compliance with the province’s security and integrity requirements.
Casino operators are expected to keep gaming systems “independently tested, approved and operating as intended,” AGCO Chief Executive Officer and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr said. That standard applies before deployment.
Using unauthorized software in a live casino environment “bypasses critical safeguards,” she added. Those safeguards protect the integrity of gaming and maintain public confidence in Ontario’s regulated casino market.
The AGCO made no claim of financial harm to players. It also did not link the unauthorized software to any gaming machine malfunction. Instead, the enforcement action relates to failures in complying with Ontario’s approval process for gaming systems.
Great Canadian Faces Fourth AGCO Penalty in Just Over a Year
Great Canadian Entertainment operates 12 casino destinations across Ontario and was acquired by Apollo Global Management in 2021. The company also operates gaming properties in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.
The $120,000 penalty marks the fourth AGCO enforcement action involving Great Canadian properties in just over a year. In April 2025, Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto was fined $120,000. The property had failed to detect dealer collusion and cheating, according to the AGCO.
A month later, the company received a $151,000 penalty. Minors had accessed gaming floors and taken part in gambling activities at three Greater Toronto Area casinos, regulators found.
In June 2025, Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto was again fined $350,000 following an electronic dance music event. This resulted in reported assaults, overdoses, and an unauthorized after-party on the casino floor.
Compliance Remains Central to Canada’s Regulated Gaming Markets
Monetary penalties are one of several enforcement tools available to the AGCO. Non-compliance with Ontario’s gaming standards triggers these tools. The regulator can also impose licence conditions or take additional regulatory action.
The AGCO did not identify the four casino properties. It also left the software’s replacement status unconfirmed.
Alberta is also launching its regulated iGaming market on July 13, less than two weeks after this decision. The province’s regulatory framework also includes technical certification and compliance requirements. Operators and suppliers must satisfy these first, then bring gaming products to market.
A different regulator will oversee Alberta’s market. Still, both provinces place a strong emphasis on technical compliance and gaming system integrity. Ontario’s latest enforcement action illustrates the level of scrutiny Canadian regulators are prepared to apply. Falling short of those standards draws firm regulatory action.
