The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has announced that it has fined Apollo Entertainment Ltd. (Apollo) CA$100,000 (€67,651) for responsible gambling failings.
According to the AGCO statement, the penalty was issued following an investigation which revealed multiple violations of Ontario’s responsible gambling requirements for online providers.
The listed violations included:
- Failing to intervene when players were showing signs of problem gambling. In one case a player was allowed to lose over CA$2 million (€1.3 million) in less than four months without any customer interactions initiated.
- Having an inadequate voluntary self-exclusion program and insufficient tools for players to set financial and time-based gambling limits.
- Failing to educate employees on the importance of responsible gambling initiatives and protocols.
Speaking of the penalty, Tom Mungham, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the AGCO noted:
“The AGCO’s goal is to ensure Ontarians can enjoy online gambling on sites that operate fairly, responsibly and provide important player protections. All registered operators have an obligation to proactively monitor patron play for signs of high-risk gambling, and must take appropriate actions to intervene and reduce the potential for gambling-related harm.”
The AGCO noted that Apollo immediately took measures to strengthen its controls as a result of the investigation’s findings.
An experienced iGaming commentator and analyst based in New York City - Jenny reports on regulation and gambling industry news and events.