Ontario Regulator Penalizes Supplier for Failing to Comply with Strict Player-Protection Game Design Standards
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has issued a formal penalty of $70,000 against Booming Games (Malta) Limited. The regulatory action follows the discovery that prohibited auto-play functionality was integrated into multiple slot games accessible to players in Ontario over a period of several months.
Violation of Ontario’s Player-Protection Standards
Auto-play functionality allows slot machine users to execute continuous spins automatically without manually triggering each individual wager. Ontario explicitly bans auto-play on online slots because manual spin initiation introduces a deliberate pause between bets, encouraging player self-awareness, mitigating uninterrupted continuous play, and reducing potential gambling-related harm.
According to the AGCO’s investigation, Booming Games failed to adequately configure, test, and monitor its titles prior to and following their launch in the regulated Ontario market. As a registered gaming supplier, the company is legally required to ensure complete compliance with provincial standards throughout a game’s operational lifecycle. The infraction was uncovered through proactive regulatory monitoring, after which the AGCO notified the operating partner and disabled the unauthorized auto-play features.
Ontario maintains some of the most stringent game-design regulations in North America, aimed at curbing excessive speed, intensity, and continuity of play. In addition to the strict prohibition on auto-play, provincial standards mandate minimum time requirements between consecutive spins and ban features that disguise net losses as wins through misleading celebratory audio or visual effects.
Regulatory Enforcement and Right of Appeal
Under the framework governing Ontario’s igaming market, suppliers issued an Order of Monetary Penalty retain the right to appeal the decision by requesting a hearing before the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT) within 15 days. The LAT operates as an independent adjudicative body under Tribunals Ontario, separate from the AGCO.
Emphasizing the strict enforcement of provincial requirements, Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar at the AGCO, stated:
“Ontario’s game design standards are fundamental player-protection measures built into the regulated igaming market – they are not optional technical requirements. Registered suppliers must have effective controls in place to prevent prohibited features from reaching Ontario players. When those safeguards are not respected, the AGCO will take regulatory action.”
