How does an Ontario online casino verify that its games are tested and certified before offering them to players?

The ITL Requirement: No Certification, No Game

Every game available at a registered Ontario online casino has to pass through an independent technical audit before a single player can wager on it. This isn't a voluntary best-practice — it's a hard regulatory gate. Any games and supporting critical gaming systems must be certified by an Independent Testing Laboratory (ITL) that is registered with the AGCO before being made available for play in Ontario. There's no workaround: the technologies covered by this policy cannot be deployed in the Ontario market without an ITL certification.

The scope of what gets tested is deliberately broad. The specific types of technology that must be certified include all games, random number generators, and components of iGaming systems that accept, process, determine outcome, display, and log details about player bets — including slot games, table games, sport and event betting, poker, and other card games. Live dealer games go a step further: the requirement for certified technology extends to physical random number generators with electronic elements and similar physical equipment used to determine game outcome — including physical roulette wheels, dice tables, and card shufflers that have electronic components.

Who Does the Testing — and What They're Checking Against

The AGCO doesn't run the testing itself for online games. For internet gaming, the AGCO modernized the approach whereby it oversees the certification of internet gaming technology against the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming by registered independent test labs, rather than testing this technology in-house. Those labs aren't self-appointed, either. The AGCO registers independent testing labs (ITLs) that test and certify that iGaming technology meets the required Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming.

The labs themselves must clear a meaningful bar before they can issue any certificates. ITLs may not issue certifications until they have completed registration with the AGCO as a Gaming-Related Supplier and submitted confirmation — such as an independent audit — that their testing methodology has been configured to the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming. And the certification instrument itself is tightly defined: an ITL certification is a form of written assurance issued by registered independent test laboratories to indicate that they have tested and confirmed that the types of technology captured by this policy meet the relevant AGCO Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming.

Responsibility sits with the supply chain, not just the casino. Operators must ensure that their games and supporting critical gaming systems are certified by a registered ITL, and ensure their suppliers have done so as well. In practice, the AGCO does not prescribe which entity is required to request the ITL certification, although it is anticipated that it will most commonly be the game provider.

Ongoing Compliance: Certification Doesn't End at Launch

Certification isn't a one-time stamp. When a game is updated, the process can restart depending on what changed. These same technologies must be recertified by a registered ITL when subsequent modifications are made that render the previous certification no longer valid, including modifications related to responsible gaming, game integrity, fairness, and security. Minor cosmetic changes may not trigger recertification, but anything touching game integrity does.

Operators also have broader compliance obligations beyond the game-level certifications. All operators are required to submit an independently audited document setting out the processes and controls they have in place to meet all of the outcomes and requirements in the Registrar's Standards — commonly referred to as a Control Activity Matrix (CAM). The AGCO then monitors iGaming operators, suppliers, and digital game offerings for compliance with regulatory obligations, including the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming.

For players, this architecture means that a game on any AGCO-registered Ontario platform has cleared a structured, multi-layer verification process — not a self-declared one. If you ever want to confirm an operator's registration status, the AGCO's public registry is the authoritative source. And as always, gambling should stay within your means; if you need support, ConnexOntario is available around the clock at 1-866-531-2600.