Rhino Entertainment subsidiary Well Played Media, operator of the Casino Days iGaming site in Ontario, has been fined C$54,000 (approx €34,445).
The monetary penalty from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) relates to an allegedly deceptive welcome bonus offer of $2,000, and was prompted by a player who complained that the site had confiscated winnings of more than $8,500.
During its investigation, AGCO examined the advertised welcome bonus offer for new players of up to C$2,000.
The regulator found that players who participated in the promotion had to deposit $2,000 and wager this amount 35 times before receiving the $2,000 bonus.
This meant that players were required to wager $70,000 in a seven day period to qualify for the bonus, with certain terms explaining this buried behind multiple links which made it difficult to find.
Under Ontario’s online gaming regulations, licensed operators must not offer bonus promotions that encourage harmful gambling behaviour. They are also required to disclose key conditions appropriately and are not permitted to entice players with bonuses that cannot reasonably be attained without significant gambling losses.
Well Played Media has the right to appeal the decision to the Licence Appeal Tribunal.
“Player protection is a non-negotiable priority for the AGCO. We expect operators to be truthful and transparent about their promotions, and we also require them to ensure that those promotions do not encourage reckless or harmful patterns of play,” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, chief executive of AGCO.
“An offer that requires a player to sustain substantial losses for a perceived benefit is not a fair offer. This penalty sends a clear signal that we will not hesitate to take action against operators who fail to meet their obligations to protect Ontario players.”