Key points:
- Ontario’s AGCO imposes $120,000 monetary penalty on Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto
- Investigation found dealer collusion with patrons resulted in multiple violations over one week
- Second recent incident involving similar allegations at the same casino property
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has issued a $120,000 monetary penalty to Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto following an investigation into a dealer collusion and cheat-at-play scheme that allegedly resulted in nearly $20,000 in illicit winnings over the course of one week.
According to the AGCO, the Ontario Provincial Police’s Investigation and Enforcement Bureau (IEB), embedded within the regulator, laid charges in March 2024 against five individuals.
The charges followed allegations that two casino table games dealers colluded with a group of patrons to carry out repeated violations of game procedures.
The AGCO’s compliance review revealed that the cheating methods included exposing hidden cards, overdrawing cards for the dealer and overpaying on winning hands. The review concluded that surveillance and pit supervisory staff failed to detect the misconduct and that table audit procedures were not properly followed.
The regulator stated that the incident marked the second such case of alleged dealer collusion at the property in recent memory.
Dr Karin Schnarr, AGCO Registrar and CEO, said: “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.”
Good to know: Operators issued a monetary penalty have the right to appeal to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an independent adjudicative body under Tribunals Ontario
The AGCO has increased enforcement activity in recent months as part of its broader focus on gaming integrity. In April 2024, the regulator suspended all wagers on World Boxing Association (WBA) events due to unresolved concerns around match-fixing and insider betting. That directive followed reports of suspicious wagering patterns flagged by registered operators and independent monitors.
The AGCO also drew parallels to similar integrity interventions in 2022, when betting on UFC events was suspended until new compliance measures were implemented. Those safeguards included enhanced policies prohibiting insider wagering.
