Great Canadian Entertainment (GCE) has received its second penalty in under a month from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), with this recent fine for supposedly not stopping underage individuals from entering casinos in the Toronto region. 

As per an AGCO statement, an inquiry found that in four distinct cases, minors purportedly accessed casino floors, with some of them participating in gambling activities. 

There were two incidents at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, while one occurred at both Casino Ajax and Pickering Casino Resort. 

The AGCO imposed penalties totaling $151K on GCE. A casino operator that receives a fine may contest it at the Licence Appeal Tribunal, separate from the AGCO. 

 

$120K Fine last Month

“Ontario casino operators have an obligation to ensure minors are not able to access casino floors or activities such as slot machines or table games,” said AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr. “The AGCO will continue to monitor and hold all casino operators accountable for fulfilling this important role.”

Individuals younger than 19 are not allowed to access a gambling site in the province. AGCO standards additionally require that casino staff possess the required competitive skills and training to perform their responsibilities, including verifying ages. 

Last month, AGCO imposed a CA$120K penalty on Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto for not identifying a cheating and dealer collusion scheme occurring at the establishment. 

“We hold ourselves to the highest standards of security and integrity across our 23 operations nationwide,” said Great Canadian Entertainment’s  Executive Vice President of External Relations and Business Development Chuck Keeling. “These incidents were self-reported, and we accept the AGCO’s determination. We’ve taken corrective action and remain fully committed to meeting all regulatory requirements going forward.”