PointsBet Canada Operations 1 Inc., the popular online gaming operator registered in Canada, has been fined $150,000 by the Registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) for failing to comply with responsible gaming practices.
The AGCO stated that the company violated various responsible gaming provisions listed in the Register’s Standards for Internet Gaming. It was revealed that the company failed to intervene and assist a player who was at risk of gambling problems, despite the player losing more than $500,000 in less than three months and being flagged as a high-risk player multiple times. Additionally, the company did not enforce a cooling-off period after the player exceeded their deposit limit for one day.
Furthermore, the company presented various gambling inducements, bonuses, and credits to players without their consent, totaling $35,500 in credits and free tickets for sporting events. The AGCO emphasized that the employees at PointsBet did not understand the importance of complying with responsible gaming practices and were not adequately trained to assist those in need.
The AGCO stressed that the safety and security of players are its main priorities and that all licensed operators in Ontario are expected to follow specific rules and regulations to protect players, especially those at high risk of problem gambling. It was also noted that PointsBet has the right to appeal the Notice of Monetary Penalty to the License Appeal Tribunal, an independent body that is part of Tribunals Ontario.
Dr. Karin Schnarr, CEO and Registrar at AGCO, emphasized the obligation of igaming operators in Ontario to proactively monitor their patrons’ play for signs of high-risk gambling and to take appropriate actions to intervene and reduce the potential for gambling-related harms. The AGCO stated that it will continue to focus on player protection by holding all registered operators to high standards.