AGCO issues $120,000 penalty to Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto for cheat scheme involving two dealers
The Registrar of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has issued a monetary penalty totalling $120,000 against Ontario Gaming GTA Limited Partnership, alleging they failed to detect a cheat-at-play and dealer collusion scheme at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto.
In March 2024, the Ontario Provincial Police Investigation and Enforcement Bureau (IEB), embedded within the AGCO, laid charges against five individuals. The charges followed an investigation into allegations that two table games dealers at Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto were in collusion with a group of casino patrons.
The AGCO conducted a subsequent compliance review and confirmed that the dealers had engaged in a cheat scheme on multiple occasions with the same group of patrons, leading to nearly $20,000 in illicit winnings in less than one week.
The scheme involved the alleged execution of various dealer cheat moves, including intentionally exposing cards that were supposed to remain face down while dealing, inappropriately overdrawing the dealer’s cards, and issuing overpayments on winning hands.
The AGCO’s review found Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto’s surveillance and supervisory pit staff failed to detect the cheat scheme. Further, the review determined that casino staff failed to follow proper table games audit procedures, which are intended to ensure rules of play are followed by dealers and patrons.
This is Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto’s second recent incident involving allegations of a cheat-at-play and dealer collusion at the casino.
A casino operator served with an Order of Monetary Penalty by the AGCO Registrar has the right to appeal the Registrar’s decision to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), which is an adjudicative tribunal independent of the AGCO and part of Tribunals Ontario.
Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar, AGCO, said: “Ontario’s registered casino operators have an obligation to ensure the integrity of game play in their casinos. This includes a responsibility to detect and prevent collusion and cheating. The AGCO will continue to monitor and take all necessary steps to uphold the integrity of gaming in Ontario’s gaming sites.”
