Ontario gambling regulator publishes new guidance on identifying players at risk

Canada.- The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has provided igaming operators with new guidance on practices to identify and support players at risk of harm. The recommendations are published under the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming – Standards 2.10 and 2.11.

The regulator said operators must have an effective mechanism for monitoring player behaviour to identify those who may be at risk of harm and offer timely support once signs of risk emerge. It said the mechanism should address the different ways in which gambling-related harm can occur and that identifying such players is a key part of an operator’s responsibility to minimise gambling-related harms.

It expects the use of both automated and manual tools to monitor players’ behaviour and use of monitor indicators. Operators are required to intervene in a manner that is timely, matches the level of risk and severity of the situation and to use technology to scale the delivery of tailored interventions. Operators are expected to evaluate the impact of intervention to make improvements. 

AGCO warns media over ads for unregulated gambling

AGCO recently contacted more than a dozen traditional and digital media platforms,  calling on them to stop promoting unregulated online gambling and sports betting sites to Ontario residents. It said legitimate media platforms were “providing a veneer of legitimacy to unregulated and high-risk sites and creating confusion for Ontarians.”

The Canadian regulator named Bodog, operated by Il Nido, as one offshore operator targeting Ontarians. It said that despite blocking players in Quebec and Nova Scotia, Bodog continues to allow Ontarians to access sites “while advertising heavily on traditional and digital media platforms targeting Ontarians.”

https://focusgn.com/agco-provides-igaming-operators-with-guidance-on-identifying-and-supporting-players-at-risk