AGCO fines supplier $70,000 for auto-play feature breach in Ontario slots

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has imposed a CA$70,000 (US$50,947) penalty on Booming Games (Malta) Limited after discovering that several slot titles supplied by the company included a prohibited auto-play feature accessible to Ontario players for several months. The regulator announced the enforcement action on Thursday following what it described as “proactive and targeted compliance efforts.”

Auto-play functionality, which allows continuous consecutive spins without player interaction, has been explicitly banned in Ontario since 2021 under the province’s game-design standards. The AGCO ordered the affected games’ auto-play functionality to be disabled immediately after notifying the operator.

Investigation Findings and Standards Violations

The AGCO’s investigation concluded that Booming Games “failed to properly configure, test and monitor certain games before and after they launched in Ontario.” The breach involves contraventions of the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming, specifically Requirement 2 of Standard 2.16, which prohibits supplying slot games with auto-play, and Requirement 3 of Standard 4.09, which mandates ongoing monitoring and testing of gaming systems and supplies.

Dr Karin Schnarr, AGCO’s CEO and registrar, emphasized the severity of the violation: “Ontario’s game design standards are fundamental player-protection measures built into the regulated iGaming market – they are not optional technical requirements. Registered suppliers must have effective controls in place to prevent prohibited features from reaching Ontario players. When those safeguards are not respected, the AGCO will take regulatory action.”

Player Protection Rationale

The AGCO stated that auto-play features may increase the risk of prolonged gambling and potential harm by diminishing opportunities for players to pause and reassess their gameplay. This enforcement action underscores the regulator’s commitment to maintaining strict player-protection measures within Ontario’s regulated market.

The penalty was issued under the authority of the Gaming Control Act, 1992. Registered suppliers have up to 15 days to request a hearing following a monetary penalty order through the Licence Appeal Tribunal, an independent body within Tribunals Ontario.

Ontario’s Stringent Regulatory Framework

Since launching its legal iGaming sector, Ontario has adopted some of the strictest game-design standards in North America. Beyond the auto-play ban, regulations include minimum time intervals between spins and prohibitions on features that can disguise losses as wins.

The regulatory framework has proven effective in channeling players toward the legal market. Data from the Commission last year showed that almost 84% of people play on regulated sites. From April 2024 to March 2025, the province’s iGaming sector generated CA$3.20 billion in gross gambling revenue, representing 32% growth over the previous year.

This enforcement action serves as a reminder to B2B suppliers operating in Ontario that compliance with game-design standards requires robust testing, configuration and ongoing monitoring protocols. The AGCO’s willingness to impose significant financial penalties demonstrates that technical compliance failures will face regulatory consequences, regardless of whether they result from intentional violations or inadequate quality assurance processes.