Ontario’s gambling regulator fined online casino supplier Booming Games $70,000 after finding prohibited auto-play was available to players for months.
Auto-play for slots can potentially increase gambling-related harm, which can raise suicide risk.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced that Booming Games, based in Malta, failed to properly configure and monitor multiple slot games. The regulator said it discovered the violations through its “proactive and targeted compliance efforts.”
Ontario’s outright prohibition on auto-play is stricter than the rules in U.S. online casino markets. Under weaker regulation, U.S. gambling regulators can permit automatic online slot play.
Why Auto-Play is Banned in Ontario
Auto-play lets a slot machine keep spinning without requiring the gambler to start each wager manually. It can increase the speed at which people lose money.
Requiring gamblers to start every spin manually creates a slight pause between wagers, which the AGCO said helps players decide whether to continue. With or without auto-play, online slots are highly addictive and harmful products.
Ontario also requires minimum intervals between slot spins and prohibits features that disguise losses as wins through celebratory sounds or similar feedback.
Booming Games’ Response
Canadian Gaming Business reported on Aug. 20 that Booming Games COO Dani Paleu told the publication: “We accept the AGCO’s ruling and take full responsibility for the breach.”
The outlet also reported that Booming Games would not appeal the $70,000 penalty.
“Ontario’s game design standards are fundamental player-protection measures built into the regulated igaming market – they are not optional technical requirements,” AGCO CEO and Registrar Karin Schnarr said in its statement.
So-called “igaming” is an industry and regulatory euphemism for online gambling.
