Casino operator receives second six-figure fine in the past ten days from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO)
Great Canadian Entertainment has come under fire again from Ontario’s gambling regulator over money laundering failures at its Pickering Casino Resort.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has issued monetary penalties of CA$170,000 to the operator for failing to adequately identify, assess and monitor high-risk customers and report suspicious activity, including potential money laundering indicators at Pickering Casino.
An AGCO compliance audit of Pickering Casino identified several failures by Great Canadian to properly assess and track high-risk customers that were not subject to required enhanced scrutiny.
The review also found that required Suspicious Transaction Reports were not filed in a number of cases where patrons showed potential money laundering indicators.
“The AGCO requires casino operators to take a proactive approach to identifying and reporting suspicious activity,” said AGCO CEO and registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr. “When high-risk behaviour is not properly monitored or reported, it weakens important safeguards that protect the integrity of Ontario’s gaming sector. The AGCO will continue to hold operators accountable to high standards of responsible operation.”
Great Canadian has the right to appeal the Registrar’s action within 15 days to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative body that is part of Tribunals Ontario and independent of the AGCO.
Last week the casino operator was ordered to pay CA$120,000 for using unauthorized gaming system software at four of its casinos in Ontario.