A $120,000 CAD ($86,382) fine has been slapped on Ontario Gaming GTA Limited Partnership, which owns the Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto. The Registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has come down on the company after it was alleged that it failed to detect a collusion scheme.
According to the AGCO, a cheat-at-play and dealer scheme was hatched under the casino’s nose. It failed to prevent it from happening, with five individuals charged. Two dealers were involved in the plot, as they worked with a group in the casino.
The group was noticed after they managed to win $20,000 in “illicit winnings” in under a week. According to the AGCO report, dealers would expose cards, “inappropriately overdrawing the dealer’s cards” and overpaying on winning hands.
Speaking in the press release, Dr. Karin Schnarr, the CEO and Registrar of AGCO, said:
“Ontario’s registered casino operators have an obligation to ensure the integrity of gameplay in their casinos.
“This includes a responsibility to detect and prevent collusion and cheating. The AGCO will continue to monitor and take all necessary steps to uphold the integrity of gaming in Ontario’s gaming sites.”
AGCO finds casino staff fooled by cheating
In its investigation, the AGCO had found that “surveillance and supervisory pit staff” had completely missed the scheme. It also found that protocols and procedures weren’t acted on, allowing the cheating ploy to go ahead.
In 2023, the AGCO issued another $80,000 fine over a similar case. At the Casino Woodbine, which is also owned by Ontario Gaming GTA Limited Partnership, it was found that another dealer cheat scheme was at play.
The ACGO has been on a tear in recent months, with multiple penalties and fines issued to various businesses. This includes November, when it issued a 10-year suspension and placed $40,000 CAD fines on riders involved in a horse doping scandal.
