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iGaming Ontario (iGO), the agency that regulates online gambling in the province, has announced it is looking for tech partners to help create a centralized, self-exclusion list encompassing all Ontario operators.

In early 2024, iGO plans to issue an RFP for parties interested in the project. The centralized system aims to create a more secure and player-focused gaming environment in Ontario for those seeking to limit or cease their gambling activities. Through the RFP, bidders will be invited to present solutions.

The successful bidder will collaborate with iGO on a multi-year project to build the program. The goal is to establish a system that earns and maintains the trust and confidence of a broad range of stakeholders, including players and operators.

The proposed system is designed to enable players to self-exclude from all regulated iGaming operators in Ontario, including the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s site, through a single registration process. This necessitate..

Canada’s National Addictions Awareness Week (NAAW) 2023 is in full swing, running from Nov. 19-25. This yearly initiative, organized by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA), aims to raise awareness about addiction and reduce the stigma that surrounds it. It also includes raising awareness of the harm associated with gambling addiction.

NAAW is a time for Canadians to learn more about addiction and how to support people looking for help. It allows people to engage in discussions, share valuable information, and promote resources. In particular, gambling addiction concerns are addressed by organizations that take part in NAAW events, recognizing the considerable impact this can have on individuals and communities, both socially and economically.

This year’s NAAW theme is “Inspiration, Innovation, and Inclusion”, which focuses on supporting new ideas around prevention and treatment and listening to people who have struggled with addiction.

In line with the theme, C..

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is not the only group putting tremendous thought and taking tremendous care with player protection.

The Canadian Gaming Association is taking the initiative and launching a new program called the CGA Commitment and Strategy to Promote Player Health and Wellbeing. The effort aims to produce responsible gambling guiding principles for the association. The group will also promulgate an advertising and marketing code of conduct.

Part of that process includes involving Ad Standards Canada, which will help CGA develop the advertising code. The group is a non-profit group that has spent more than 60 years self-regulating advertisements in the country to ensure fair and honest practices in the industry.

Dec. 5, the CGA will host a day-long event at the offices of the accounting firm MNP in downtown Toronto. The day will include the following:

A workshop led by the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) to develop guidelines around RG
A presen..

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) levied a serious fine against PointsBet after the operator was alleged to be negligent in complying with the province’s responsible gambling policies.

According to the statement from AGCO, PointsBet Canada repeatedly and severely violated policy regarding one specific customer who lost over $500,000 in the span of three months. The AGCO has levied a $150,000 fine against the operator.

Despite being flagged by PointsBet as high risk, at no point did the site intervene. The customer repeatedly canceled withdrawal requests and was not required to sit out from gambling for 24 hours after removing deposit limits on their account.

“In Ontario, iGaming operators have an obligation 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 will continue to focus on player protection by holding all registered operators..

The Prince Edward Island Lotteries Commission has unveiled its new responsible gambling strategy for Islanders, which acts as an update and replacement for the previous strategy created in 2008.

The strategy, which was developed by independent consultant MRSB – contracted by the PEI Lotteries Commission – was created using five guiding principles, which are:

harm reduction;
accountability;
informed and healthy play;
equity and inclusion;
and supporting vibrant communities.

Citing an “entirely new era” where digital and online activity has been growing at “warp speed”, the new strategy will “chart a new course for gambling” in the province, according to Minister of Finance Jill Burridge.

Burridge, who is also Chair of the PEI Lotteries Commission, explained: “The gambling landscape has shifted considerably in the last fifteen years. This new strategy responds to emerging demands and provides a balanced approach, by ensuring those who want to gamble can do so in a safe and positive w..

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has served Apollo Entertainment with a Notice of Monetary Penalty totalling $100,000 for failing to adhere to its responsible gambling standards.

Apollo entered the Ontario market last September, receiving licenses from the AGCO for seven igaming sites:

Zodiac Casino
Yukon Gold Casino
Luxury Casino
Grand Mondial Casino
Casino Classic
Captain-Cooks Casino
Golden Tiger Casino

However, the regulator announced last week that the firm has violated multiple responsible gaming provisions in the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming, including:

Failing to conduct required interventions with players who may be experiencing gambling related harms. This included the case of a player experiencing over $2m in losses in under four months without receiving interventions from the gaming site operator during that period.
Failing to implement an adequate voluntary self-exclusion program, as well as providing insufficient tools for players to se..

The Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) has today published its Annual Report for 2022-23, detailing the advancements in RG made across Canada.

Over the last year, the non-profit organization has bolstered its presence in the RG space with several key partnerships and new ventures.

The RGC’s public service announcement about the risks of igaming and sports betting – broadcast on networks throughout Canada in collaboration with thinktv – was a particularly powerful event, garnering over 100 million impressions.

Meanwhile, the launch of the regulated Ontario igaming market in March 2022 saw the Toronto-based organization utilize RG Check – ‘the most comprehensive responsible gambling accreditation program in the world’ – to conduct the first round of accreditations with 17 of Ontario’s newly licensed igaming operators.

Then, in February, the RGC released its Super Bowl survey, where it gathered insights into Ontarian’s plans to watch and bet on the NFL’s showpiece event, finding that ..

Kinectify has signed a deal with Kindbridge Behavioral Health to provide operators in the US and Canada with enhanced technology for people experiencing gambling harms.

The agreement will see the AML and risk management firm launch “an all-in-one RG platform that seamlessly integrates with its existing AML platform”.

This platform will provide specialized workspaces for AML and RG teams enabling them to handle player care, case management, reporting and monitoring.

Joseph Martin, CEO of Kinectify, said: “Applying our learnings from developing the most sophisticated transaction monitoring and case management system in the industry to problem gaming is exciting.

“We are thrilled to partner with Kindbridge, the first organization solely focused on building treatment infrastructure through telehealth.”

Martin, who will subsequently join the Board of Directors at the Kindbridge Research Institute (KRI), added: “We look forward to testing a variety of treatment modalities on those that ..

Personalizing technology is the crucial next step in managing player risk and decreasing the levels of problem gambling, according to experts at the Canadian Gaming Summit.

Moderated by Bill Pascrell III, Partner of Princeton Public Affairs Group, the ‘Managing player risk through tech’ panel held a wide-ranging discussion on the collection of data in gambling and how information can be best utilized to protect and empower consumers.

After captivating the audience with a personal, thought-provoking story of his own, Pascrell III invited Paul Foster, CEO of Crucial Compliance, to explain the cutting-edge technology that the industry is using to help with consumer protection.

“The actual cutting edge technology is data – that’s as good as it gets,” said Foster. “What we’ve been able to do over the last few years is collect huge amounts of data, analyse it, and actually create [player] behaviour models. If we then take that and apply the research that everybody else is doing, that crea..

Former NHL goaltender from Pickering, ON and the current Executive Director of the NHL Alumni Association (NHLAA), Glenn Healy, is set to make a special appearance on a live episode of the ‘Safe Bet Show.’

The podcast, which is hosted by Martin Lycka, Entain’s Senior Vice President of American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling, will be featured at the Player Protection Symposium, a limited-capacity exclusive event taking place on June 13th at the Metro Toronto Convention Center (Rooms 205 & 206).

This pre-day conference is part of the Canadian Gaming Summit, Canada’s premier gaming and betting event. In its 26th edition, the Summit will be produced by SBC for the first time ever, with the core conference and exhibition also occurring at the same location on June 14-15.

Launched in collaboration with SBC in April 2021, the ‘Safe Bet Show’ is a podcast where Lycka examines how the industry is addressing player protection and social responsibility. Through interviews with lea..