The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario recently added another prestigious award to its trophy case.
The provincial regulator has earned the Excellence in Gaming Regulation Award from the North American Gaming Regulators Association for its role in developing and implementing the regulatory framework for Ontario’s thriving iGaming market.
Under AGCO purview, Ontario sports betting and casino operators posted total revenues of $1.4 billion between April 2022 and April 2023.
AGCO views NAGRA award as a true team effort
Although cliché, there’s always more names deserving of credit than just the one etched on the award. And when it comes to maintaining something as intricate as a province’s iGaming market, that couldn’t be more true.
Through a collaborative effort, the Ontario regulated market achieved resounding success in several key areas, including enhanced player protection.
“In just one year, we went from an estimated 70% of online gambling occurring on unregulated sites to over 85 per cent of respondents to a recent survey saying they’ve gambled on regulated sites,” said AGCO registrar and CEO Tom Mungham. “With over 45 registered operators offering over 75 sites and more than 5,000 certified games, Ontario consumers have an abundance of safer options to choose from within the regulated sector.”
Mungham went on to say that this success would not have been possible without a unified effort from government officials, iGaming Ontario, operators, suppliers, and industry stakeholders.
In particular, he commended Attorney General Doug Downey for displaying strong government leadership throughout the regulation process. Downey quickly reciprocated the praise.
“The Ministry of the Attorney General is proud to work with the AGCO to build a safe, legal and competitive new marketplace that will continue to drive innovation across the sector, create good jobs, and provide protection and choice for players.”
Earlier this month, at the Canadian Gaming Summit, Downey called the registration numbers for regulated sites in year one, “phenomenal.”
Most recent win reaffirms AGCO’s commitments to Ontarians
In addition to this year’s award at NAGRA’s annual conference in Boise, Idaho, the AGCO also took home some hardware last October in Melbourne, Australia.
There, it won the International Association of Gaming Regulators’ Regulatory Excellence Award for greatness in gaming policy.
As the regulator continues to stack internationally recognized awards, it remains committed to constantly improving its offering.
Over the past few months, the AGCO has stood firmly against the current state of Canadian sports betting advertisements. In that time, the regulator has heavily considered banning celebrities and athletes from appearing in sportsbook operator ads. An official decision is expected at some point this week.
Notably, Canadian Senator Marty Deacon introduced Bill S-269 last week, which calls for a national framework on sports betting ads. If passed, the Canadian heritage minister would be required to explore ways to restrict the capabilities of these ads.
