AGCO orders Casino Woodbine to pay CA$80,000 over dealer cheat scheme

Updated: 12.10.2023

A considerable fine has been handed out by the Registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) to the Grandstand Casino (formerly Woodbine), which operates out of Toronto in Canada, in relation to allegations of dealer collusion and cheat-at-play.

The CA$80,000 sum was reached after the AGCO established that the casino failed to detect any issue or take appropriate action based on the information at hand to stop the plot in its tracks.

Five individuals have also been charged as a result of the investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police Investigation and Enforcement Bureau.

The case will likely raise questions about the Woodbine Casino and land-based gambling more generally, especially with the advent of online gaming in the region. In April 2022, the province became the first to launch legal online gambling, with online operators required to pass strict regulatory requirements under the watchful eye of iGaming Ontario (iGo) - the regulatory authority in the region.

Failures Flagged By Authority

The list of issues raised by the AGCO will pose serious questions for bosses at the Grandstand Casino, considered one of the region's leading venues for gambling entertainment.

Problems presented include:

A failure to act on financial reports and emails indicating heavy and unusual losses from electronic craps over a six-month period.
Supervisors were regularly absent from the electronic craps table.
There were seven individual procedural violations from a dealer when they were caught pushing dice to patrons before closing bets. Despite this, they were allowed to continue dealing.

In its findings, the AGCO said:

“Ontario's gaming laws require casino operators to implement effective controls to limit the risk of criminal activity, including cheating and collusion between patrons and casino staff.”

“In addition to these penalties, AGCO will continue monitoring to ensure Casino Woodbine appropriately addresses their controls to better detect and prevent casino cheats and dealer collusion.”

The casino can appeal these findings, but the anticipation is they will accept the ruling and commit to fixing the issues raised.

To find the best online casinos and land-based casinos in Ontario, check out online and land-based casino reviews from CasinoCanada.

Busy Opening Period for Incoming AGCO Chief Executive

Karin Schnarr was appointed the new chief executive and registrar of the AGCO earlier in the year, with her first day beginning on 18 September.

She is replacing Tom Mungham in the role, who is heading into retirement.

Schnarr will have big shoes to fill - Mungham was responsible for some significant initiatives as CEO, including being the figurehead of developing a regulatory oversight of Ontario's new online gambling market.

AGCO Chair, Lalit Aggarwal, paid tribute to Mungham on his departure:

“On behalf of the board and staff, I want to thank Tom for his tremendous contributions throughout his 17-year career at the AGCO, and most importantly, for his exceptional leadership as our registrar and CEO.”

“We extend him our deepest appreciation for his guidance in fulfilling AGCO’s mandate with an unwavering commitment to the values of integrity, respect, accountability, and public interest. We wish him the very best for this next, well-earned chapter.”

What is Craps?

Electronic craps, or craps online, is a modern, technology-based version of the traditional casino dice game, craps, and is available to online players. It incorporates digital interfaces and automated systems to replicate the original game's experience. Online players interact with a virtual table displayed on a screen, placing wagers and wait for the dice to roll.

This game variant offers a more accessible and less intimidating environment for newcomers while maintaining the thrill and strategic elements that seasoned craps players enjoy.

With over 5 years of experience in iGaming, Dmitry Rogalchuk leads a content team at CasinoCanada, ensuring that every article on the CasinoCanada website is informative and engaging for our readers.

Dmitry Rogalchuk

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The University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia & McGill University degrees, strategic marketing & content leadership expertise, sales strategies development

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Last updated on: 19.03.2024

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