AGCO Identifies Compliance Failures Over Prohibited Auto-Play Slots Ontario
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has ordered Booming Games (Malta) Limited to pay C$70,000 (US$50,600) after several online slot games supplied by the company allowed players in Ontario to use prohibited auto-play features for several months. AGCO’s penalty highlights the regulator’s continued focus on player protection across Ontario gambling.
The AGCO said its investigation found that certain Booming Games titles available to Ontario players included auto-play, a feature that automatically starts successive slot spins without requiring the player to initiate each wager. The issue was discovered through the AGCO’s proactive and targeted compliance checks.
The AGCO determined that Booming Games failed to prevent the prohibited functionality from reaching players. The issue remained available for several months before the supplier identified and addressed it. After identifying the prohibited functionality, the regulator notified the affected iGaming operator, and the auto-play feature was disabled on the impacted games.
Why Ontario iGaming Regulations Ban Auto-Play
Booming Games launched in Ontario in 2024, three years after the province’s gambling regulator outlawed the autoplay tool. Keen to get its house in order before the regulatory launch, Ontario banned autoplay and imposed a minimum slot spin speed of 2.5 seconds. Both measures were intended to restrict the amount of time players spend on slots. iGaming Ontario launched as a subsidiary of the AGCO to oversee online gambling activity.
Ontario prohibits auto-play as part of its game design rules. The regulator requires players to start each spin manually, creating a pause between wagers. According to the AGCO, these pauses give players an opportunity to assess their activity and decide whether to continue.
The regulator said the prohibition forms part of Ontario’s wider approach to limiting excessive speed and continuity of play. Its game design standards also include minimum time requirements between spins and restrictions on features that could make losses appear to be wins through celebratory sounds or other misleading feedback. That requirement creates a natural interruption between wagers and encourages greater awareness of gambling activity.
For Ontario gambling operators and suppliers, these rules form part of the province’s broader responsible gambling framework. These rules are also relevant to players comparing the best online casinos for CA, as regulated operators must meet local player protection requirements.
Specific Breaches and Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario Penalties
The C$70,000 penalty relates to two breaches of Ontario’s Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming.
Under Requirement 2 of Standard 2.16, suppliers cannot provide slot games with auto-play functionality. The AGCO found that Booming Games breached this requirement by making games with the feature available to Ontario players.
The second breach involved Requirement 3 of Standard 4.09. This provision requires suppliers to carry out monitoring and testing throughout the life of gaming systems and supplies. The regulator said the company did not demonstrate that the relevant games continued to operate in accordance with approved requirements.
The AGCO said Booming Games was responsible for ensuring its products complied with Ontario’s requirements both before entering the market and after launch. As a registered gaming supplier, the company is expected to configure, test and monitor its games on an ongoing basis. The regulator said Booming Games failed to meet those obligations in relation to the affected titles. The regulator said the supplier also failed to properly test and monitor the games throughout their lifecycle.
According to the regulator, the breach reflected weaknesses in the supplier’s testing and monitoring procedures. Those controls should ensure games comply with Ontario’s requirements before and after their launch. AGCO Chief Executive Officer and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr stressed the importance of those responsibilities:
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.
Booming Games $70k Penalty Response and Appeals
Booming Games can request a hearing before the independent Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT) within 15 days of receiving the Order of Monetary Penalty. LAT is part of Tribunals Ontario and operates independently of the AGCO.
However, Booming Games accepted the AGCO’s ruling and acknowledged responsibility for the breach. For Booming Games, the company has accepted responsibility and strengthened its procedures following the breach. Dani Paleu, Booming Games’ COO, said the company accepted the regulator’s decision.
We accept the AGCO’s ruling and take full responsibility for the breach, Paleu said. We acted immediately once the issue was identified, and we have since strengthened how market-specific game options are verified against each regulator’s requirements, both before a site goes live and on an ongoing basis afterwards.
The company has therefore strengthened its verification processes following the incident. Those changes focus on market-specific requirements and ongoing checks after games become available.
Wider Message for Ontario Online Casino Compliance
The comments underline the regulator’s expectations for suppliers operating within Ontario’s regulated market. They also demonstrate that compliance extends beyond operators running online casinos.
The Booming Games penalty also carries implications for suppliers supporting online casinos in Ontario. Rather than focusing solely on operators, the AGCO is holding suppliers accountable for game-level compliance. That approach places greater responsibility on companies developing and distributing gambling content. Suppliers must therefore ensure their products meet Ontario requirements throughout their lifecycle.
Pre-launch testing alone may not be enough when market-specific configurations can change afterward. Instead, suppliers need effective monitoring systems that can identify potential compliance issues promptly. The C$70,000 penalty consequently reinforces the importance of continuous regulatory oversight. It also sends a clear message to companies seeking to participate in Ontario’s regulated market.
The AGCO expects suppliers to build player-protection requirements into their products and compliance processes. The AGCO continues to enforce these standards across the regulated iGaming sector. For the wider industry, the case shows that prohibited game features can result in direct regulatory action. Ontario’s continued enforcement also demonstrates its commitment to maintaining strict standards across its regulated iGaming market.
Leo Falsafi is a digital marketing veteran and senior journalist at Virlan.co, where he covers the intersection of digital marketing, gaming, and breaking US trending news. With nearly two decades of hands-on experience in SEO and digital strategy, Leo has consulted for and scaled hundreds of companies. His deep industry roots allow him to deliver sharp, fact-checked insights and analysis on the trends shaping today's digital landscape.