The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has issued Unibet ON Inc with a $48,000 monetary penalty for alleged advertising and inducements infractions of the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming.
In a statement on its website, the AGCO noted that, between May 19 and May 22, Unibet allegedly posted or aired multiple broad gambling inducements that promoted “generous welcome offers”, which is contrary to Standard 2.05 of the commission’s igaming regulatory framework.
Standard 2.05 restricts “advertising of inducements, bonuses or credits, except when they are on an operator’s site, or through direct advertising and marketing issued after receiving active player consent” in the Canadian province of Ontario.
The commission added that its “igaming regulatory framework exists in part to ensure Ontario’s igaming market achieves high standards in such important areas as responsible gambling, protection of minors, and game integrity”, and that “Ontario strictly prohibits broad public advertising of bonuses and other gambling inducements, and the AGCO will continue to take regulatory action”.
“We expect all registered operators to achieve and maintain the high standards of responsible gambling, player protection, and game integrity,” commented Tom Mungham, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the AGCO.
“The AGCO will continue to monitor these gaming sites’ activities, and ensure they are meeting their obligations under Ontario’s Gaming Control Act and the Standards.”
Unibet has the right to appeal the commission’s penalty to the Licence Appeal Tribunal, which is an adjudicative tribunal independent of the commission and part of Tribunals Ontario.
Back in July, AGCO issued a similar fine to DraftKings Canada for alleged advertising and inducement infractions.
