What ongoing obligations must a licensed Ontario online casino meet to keep its registration in good standing?

Registration in Ontario's regulated igaming market is not a one-time achievement — it's a continuous performance obligation. Once an operator is live, the AGCO and iGaming Ontario expect sustained, demonstrable compliance across every dimension of the business. Here's what that actually looks like in practice.

The Dual Accountability Structure

Being a fully registered and authorized operator in Ontario means the organization has successfully received a registration by the AGCO and, with the exception of OLG.ca, has executed an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. Both relationships carry ongoing duties. The AGCO is the regulator for the province while iGaming Ontario is the commercial conduct and manage entity. Operators answer to both, simultaneously and indefinitely.

Continuous Compliance with the Registrar's Standards

The Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming apply to igaming operators (including OLG and private), and gaming-related suppliers. These standards are outcomes-based rather than prescriptive, which matters in practice: the standards are outcomes-based, representing the Registrar's expectations for a registrant. Operators and suppliers have the flexibility to develop the best control activities for their business that are able to meet the stated outcome, with the understanding that different organizations will choose different approaches, and that best practices are often evolving.

That flexibility doesn't reduce the burden — it shifts it onto the operator to continuously self-assess and document their controls. The AGCO monitors igaming operators, suppliers and digital game offerings for compliance with regulatory obligations, including the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming.

Responsible Gambling — Arguably the Heaviest Ongoing Load

This is where the most granular, day-to-day obligations sit. Operators shall implement and follow policies and procedures that will identify, prevent and minimize the risks of harm from gaming to players. These policies and procedures shall be reviewed and evaluated regularly for effectiveness to ensure that they follow industry best practices and that the stated objectives of the policies and procedures are achieved.

Player-facing tools must be maintained and kept functional. Players shall be provided with an easy and obvious way to set gaming limits (financial or time-based) upon registration and at any time after registration, including the option to set loss and deposit limits during registration. Critically, if a player wants to relax or remove a limit they've already set, a request to relax or eliminate that limit shall only be implemented after a cooling-off period — that cooling-off period shall be 24 hours.

Operators must also prominently display responsible gambling information. The registration page and pages within the player account shall prominently display a responsible gambling statement, the online link, as well as the number for ConnexOntario, and provide a link to a page that provides responsible gambling materials, information, resources and support for people experiencing problems with gaming. That helpline is ConnexOntario at 1-866-531-2600.

On top of internal RG programs, iGaming Ontario requires operators to obtain the Responsible Gambling Council's RG Check accreditation within the first two years of the date of the Operating Agreement and maintain such accreditation for the remainder of their Operating Agreement term.

Self-exclusion is non-negotiable on two levels: all igaming operators in Ontario participate in BetGuard, a tool that allows people to opt out of all regulated online gambling in Ontario. Operators are also required to have their own self-exclusion program that meets the requirements set out in the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming. Regulated Ontario sites display both the iGaming Ontario logo and the BetGuard logo — visible signals to players that the site is properly managed and regulated.

Advertising and Marketing Standards

Operators carry personal accountability for every piece of marketing they produce or affiliate. Advertising, marketing materials and communications shall not target high-risk, underage or self-excluded persons to participate in lottery schemes, shall not include underage individuals, and shall not knowingly be communicated or sent to high-risk players. Operators must have specific measures in place to limit marketing communications to all known high-risk players — the intent being to actually limit those communications, not merely to have a policy on paper.

Anti-Money Laundering

Operators have entered legal agreements ensuring compliance with applicable laws, including anti-money laundering. iGaming Ontario and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada maintain the right to conduct audits and inspections of operators to ensure compliance with iGaming Ontario's requirements and the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act.

Incident Notification and Regulatory Reporting

The Notification Matrix is a document that outlines the minimum notification obligations for registrants to the Registrar, including the timeframe by which the notification must be made and the mode of contact with the AGCO for each type of notification. Some examples of required notifications include instances of non-compliance, or if there is a substantial change to the control environment. Operators must also maintain complete transaction and game-state records available for regulatory investigation.

Audits, Inspections, and Sanctions

iGaming Ontario retains the right to audit and inspect operators' books of accounts and other records, materials, information, and data as they relate to the operation of the iGO site during the term of the agreement. Where gaps appear, the AGCO doesn't immediately reach for the heaviest tool: where compliance concerns are identified, the AGCO brings operators and suppliers back into compliance through the use of progressive sanctions, including warnings, suspensions, monetary penalties, and in the most serious of cases, revocations.

The full, current text of the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming lives on the AGCO's website and is updated periodically — operators are expected to track those changes and adjust their controls accordingly. For players, the practical takeaway is straightforward: a site displaying the iGaming Ontario and BetGuard logos is one that has accepted, and must continuously meet, all of the above.