The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) says that it will now take action against any operators that haven’t obtained licences.

Canada.- The transition period for operators in Ontario to move to the regulated market ended on Monday (October 31). The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) will now start to take action against any operators that have not obtained licences.

The transition period was used to allow operators to apply for licences for the regulated market, which opened on April 4. The regulator noted that its key objective had been to move igaming operators and suppliers into Ontario’s regulated market as quickly and as seamlessly as possible.

The introduction of Standard 1.22 brings an end to the transition period for unregulated igaming. Meanwhile, the date also marks the beginning of other standards being enforced. Standard 4.09 determines that operators must act with integrity and guarantee that slot titles and table games are delivered in a fair and consistent manner.

Meanwhile, standard 4.35 states that access to live dealer gaming supplies shall be restricted to individuals with a business need. In terms of requirements, access privileges will be granted, modified, and revoked based on employment status and job requirements and all activities associated with these actions logged. These will be independently reviewed and confirmed periodically.

AGCO was recently awarded the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) Regulatory Excellence Award. The Canadian commission won the prize for its work developing and implementing the regulatory framework for Ontario’s new igaming market.

The prize was announced during the IAGR’s annual international regulatory awards gala in Melbourne, Australia. AGCO’s igaming framework in Ontario is the first of its kind in Canada, meeting its legal obligation to conduct and manage gaming while creating a competitive market.