The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario recently fined two Ontario sports betting operators. BV Gaming Limited and Fitzdares Canada Limited received fines totaling $30,000 Canadian regarding bets offered on minor-league sports.
More specifically, the licensed operators were penalized for, in the words on an AGCO news release, “alleged infractions of the Registrar’s Standards For Internet Gaming.” The games in question, all during the 2022-23 season, involved three major junior hockey organizations: the Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Minor league sports include the Canadian Hockey League’s three major junior hockey leagues.
“As the regulator of Ontario’s sports betting industry, the AGCO is resolved to maintain the integrity of sports betting which, in turn, may serve to protect the integrity of sport,” Dave Phillips, chief operating officer of the AGCO, said in the release, dated June 20. “This includes a clear prohibition on offering bets in Ontario on minor league sports, including Canadian major junior hockey. We will continue to carefully monitor Ontario’s sports betting markets to ensure the public interest is protected.”
The two operators can appeal the registrar’s action.
Operators Fined $15,000 Each
BV Gaming Limited and Fitzdares Canada Limited, both operators of Ontario sportsbook apps, were fined $15,000 each.
Earlier in the year, the AGCO issued $70,000 in monetary penalties to three internet gaming operators for offering uncertified slot games.
And in 2022, the first year of the regulated iGaming market in Ontario, there were several other similar fines.
DraftKings faced a $100,000 monetary penalty for advertising and inducement infractions. BetMGM and PointsBet Canada were fined $48,000 and $30,000, respectively, for the same thing.
Ontario became one of the only jurisdictions in the world to place restrictions on operators offering bonuses and inducements when the market launched in April 2022.
Operators can still post them on their websites or offer them via direct marketing for players on Ontario casino apps who consent.
