Ontario regulator moves to strip lottery licenses from retailers with illicit gambling machines

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is intensifying its crackdown on unregulated gambling to safeguard the public.

This week, the AGCO revoked the lottery seller registrations of several Greater Toronto Area (GTA) retailers found to be operating unapproved electronic gambling machines branded as Prime Slot.

The AGCO oversees all gambling in Ontario, ensuring that gaming products and venues meet stringent standards for game integrity, player safety, and the protection of minors and vulnerable individuals.

Over the past ten years, unregulated gaming machines have spread rapidly across North America. Those like Prime Slot, marketed as skill-based games, function similarly to chance-based slot machines and have been placed in convenience stores and other locations where gambling devices are typically prohibited.