iGaming supplier found to have provided games that included auto-play features for slots, which is prohibited in the Canadian province
Online casino games provider Booming Games has been ordered to pay a CA$70,000 penalty after prohibited auto-play functionality was made available to Ontario players.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) issued the monetary penalty on Booming Games for undermining player protection after uncovering prohibited auto-play feature on multiple slot games over several months.
Auto-play allows a player to automatically play an online slot machine without the player having to manually initiate each spin.
The regulator pointed out that Ontario prohibits auto-play on slot games because removing the need for a player to actively initiate each wager can reduce opportunities to pause, assess their play and decide whether they want to continue gambling.
The AGCO explained that requiring players to manually start each spin creates a deliberate pause between wagers, which can help maintain player awareness and control, reduce prolonged and uninterrupted play, and reduce the risk of gambling-related harm.
“Ontario’s game design standards are fundamental player-protection measures built into the regulated iGaming market – they are not optional technical requirements,” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, CEO and Registrar of the AGCO. “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.”
The AGCO’s investigation found that Booming Games failed to properly configure, test and monitor certain games before and after they launched in Ontario.
The issue was identified through the AGCO’s targeted compliance efforts, which notified the impacted iGaming operator, with the auto-play functionality for the affected games disabled.
Booming Games has the right to request a hearing before the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT) within 15 days. LAT is an adjudicative body that is part of Tribunals Ontario and independent of the AGCO.