The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has fined Booming Games (Malta) Limited CA$70,000 (US$50,947) after discovering that several slot games provided by the company featured an auto-play option, which is prohibited in the province.
This penalty was announced on Thursday, following a proactive compliance investigation that revealed the auto-play function had been accessible to players in Ontario for several months. The AGCO directed Booming Games to disable the feature immediately upon notification of the infraction.
The auto-play feature enables players to spin the reels repeatedly without having to interact with the game, which the AGCO considers a risk factor for extended gambling sessions. They noted that such features can undermine players' abilities to take breaks and reassess their gaming behavior.
The AGCO's investigation determined that Booming Games did not adequately configure, test, or monitor certain titles before and after their release in Ontario. The violations pertained to breaches of the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming, specifically:
1. Offering slot games with an auto-play feature (Requirement 2 of Standard 2.16).
2. Neglecting to conduct ongoing monitoring and testing of gaming systems and supplies (Requirement 3 of Standard 4.09).
The penalty is enforced under the authority of the Gaming Control Act of 1992. Dr. Karin Schnarr, CEO and registrar of the AGCO, highlighted the seriousness of the infraction, stating, "Ontario’s game design standards are fundamental player-protection measures built into the regulated iGaming market – they are not optional technical requirements."
Dr. Schnarr further stressed the importance of registered suppliers implementing effective controls to prevent banned features from being available to Ontario players, warning that the AGCO would take necessary regulatory action when safeguards fail.
Ontario has established one of the most rigorous gaming frameworks in North America, banning auto-play and instituting rules like minimum intervals between spins and restrictions against features that may mislead players into thinking they are winning when they are not. According to AGCO data from last year, nearly 84% of players engaged with regulated gaming sites.
For the period from April 2024 to March 2025, Ontario reported gross gambling revenue (GGR) of CA$3.20 billion, marking a 32% increase compared to the previous year. Following a monetary penalty, the Licence Appeal Tribunal, part of Tribunals Ontario, allows registered suppliers a timeframe of up to 15 days to request a hearing.
