NorthStar Gaming Hit with CA$30K Fine by AGCO in Ontario

A licensed gambling operator in Ontario, Canada, recently received a monetary penalty due to alleged breaches of the province’s iGaming regulatory framework.

Third-Party Assessment Uncovers Deficiencies

That is the case of NorthStar Gaming (Ontario) Inc., an online gambling operator in Ontario that recently received an Order of Monetary Penalty with a sum of CA$30,000 ($21,800). The province’s gambling watchdog, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), released details regarding the case, revealing that the fine comes after the operator allegedly failed to prevent customers outside of Ontario from accessing its website, NorthStarBets.ca.

Under the existing regulatory framework in Ontario, operators cannot provide access to their websites available for customers in the province “unless they are conducted in conjunction with the government of another province,” as explained by the AGCO. The regulatory watchdog recently conducted a third-party assessment on licensed iGaming operators.

This assessment was conducted from physical locations outside of Ontario. One of the locations was in New York State, while the other one was in Quebec. The AGCO’s assessment tested if websites by licensed operators in Ontario were accessible from the two locations and explained that allegedly “NorthStarBets.ca failed to accurately identify the location of one of the devices.”

Dr. Karin Schnarr, AGCO’s CEO and registrar, spoke about the province’s ongoing interest in providing legal gambling while at the same time prioritizing the public interest. She added that the AGCO will continue to monitor the gambling sector, ensuring that every operator complies with Ontario’s regulations.

“The AGCO will continue to take all appropriate steps to ensure that regulated gaming sites are operated with integrity and within the province’s legal framework.“

Dr. Karin Schnarr, CEO and registrar at the AGCO

Citation Added to the Fine, Appeal of the Monetary Penalty Is Possible

Besides the monetary penalty, NorthStar Gaming received a citation. The AGCO confirmed that the citation is due to the operator’s “repeated failure to provide the registrar with data, information and documents requested in a timely manner as required.” Citing Ontario’s Gaming Control Act (GCA), the regulatory watchdog alleged that NorthStar Gaming breached provisions 3.02, 1.01 and 1.13.

The gambling regulator confirmed that the recently issued monetary penalty can be appealed to the independent of the AGCO tribunal, the License Appeal Tribunal (LAT). Still, the regulatory watchdog confirmed that it will continue to collaborate with the operator in an effort to resolve the uncovered issues. Finally, the AGCO did not rule out additional enforcement action against NorthStar gaming in case the issues are not resolved.