What happened
Suddenly, AGCO decided to fine Relax Gaming and Arrise Solution C$40,000 each because they allowed their games to be available on casinos without an AGCO licence that were still available for Ontario citizens.
This Means:
- You saw that games like Temple Tumble Megaways, Wilderland, or Twin Spin Megaways were missing from a casino site after 7 May
- You also see that Mystery Reels, Fruit Shop, and Pirate Gold were missing, too. We verified on AGCO what games were deleted from libraries.
- If you played at an AGCO-licensed casino, these games were still available for gameplay at sites like PlayOJO Ontario, Bet365, etc.
- The penalty wasn’t about tech failures or fairness. The reason was that these providers worked with unlicensed grey-market casinos. They broke the rule because they permitted their content to be used on sites with no Ontario oversight. This also means no BetGuard integration, leading to zero protection for Ontario players.
Everything was confirmed by AGCO’s inspectors. They visited the casinos like regular Ontario players, but they also tracked the games up to the providers. You can check these discoveries on AGCO’s website via the notice posted there after May 7. The outcome was that both providers followed the rules, they blocked the games after 72 hours, and they paid the C$40,000 fine.
Why Supplier-Side Enforcement is Harder Than it Looks
Almost every AGCO’s legal action is taken against operators, which means those who bet and make money. Still, even if provider enforcement is rare, it’s not totally nonexistent. The fact that it is rare is because it is technically more demanding. The reason behind it is simple. For example, a slot available on an unregulated casino can be there because the provider sold it to the operator directly. There are some cases when it appears via a longer chain, via aggregators or operators who white-label the content from a different studio because they bought the rights.
Based on demands, it takes time to investigate and trace that chain back to the registered supplier. ACGO had been building this approach since the regulated market opened in April 2022. So, the 7 May 2026 action is the demonstration that even suppliers are on the radar.
Modest Fines, Real Precedent
In terms of fines, they were small for these popular companies, so the C$40,000 fine is nothing to them. Relax Gaming has been active globally since 2010, and it gives its games in over 50 countries. Arise Solutions, which was known as Pragmatic Solutions, is also a member of a large international network.
However, you must know that these small fines aren’t considered the major issue because what is important in this situation is the reputation and the risk connected to the licensing. For example, if a gaming provider is denied the licence by the AGCO, that supplier will be deprived of access to one of the best and largest gambling markets in North America.
The Channelisation Context
According to the results of the most recent channelisation survey for Ontario, 83.7% of all online gaming traffic flows through authorised gambling operators. This share is important since the authorities of the region need more players in the framework of their regulated market, where AGCO holds control with strong means of dispute resolution and responsible gambling.
Nevertheless, the existence of grey market traffic can be explained by other reasons. For example, players continue seeking offshore gambling websites because there are many opportunities to use cryptocurrencies, receive more generous bonuses, and enjoy excellent VIP programmes. Others find such casinos only through Google search results. Finally, some have some problems with financial institutions that cancel transactions in Canada and so on.
In the opinion of AGCO authorities, since they penalise gambling providers for any violations, this is the most effective strategy to influence the market. Once offshore websites cannot provide popular slots anymore, their attractiveness drops significantly. If you are not yet aware of the difference between Ontario casinos and offshore ones, you must immediately read our article on this subject because you can easily fall into traps, especially in 2026. We also recommend that you read the entire legal aspect of online casinos in Canada because some newcomers think that online gambling is not legal in this part of North America.
What it means for players
Games like Temple Tumble, Mystery Reels, etc., will still be available at licensed casinos in Ontario, exactly as they were at popular Ontario casinos such as:
What’s new is that these games will not be available on unregulated casinos that offer no protection to Ontario players. There will be no Betguard and no dispute resolution. Also, check the dispute resolution province by province via our newest guide.
What Happens:
- Licensed Casinos: There will be new games, faster payouts and powerful protection.
- Unlicensed Casinos: In this situation, you will see small game collections, slower cashouts and no dispute resolution or support for possible issues.
This is no speculation because it’s already happening in 2026 since the payment processors have improved the AML controls and providers like Relax or Arrise block Ontario access to grey-market domains. Moreover, if you want to know the exact payment providers you will find at Canadian Casinos, check and understand our newest guide.
If Something Goes Wrong:
- AGCO Casinos: You can contact AGCO; you will be able to file a complaint, and you will get a response faster with a possible payment order.
- Unlicensed Casinos: You’re on your own because you have no Canadian regulator to safeguard you.
What does this mean for you?
In simple terms, this means that unlicensed casinos don’t promise or deliver the same protection as licensed casinos. You will not know if your data is protected or if the games are tested for fairness by third parties. There’s no way to hold the operator accountable if your account gets frozen or your withdrawal is denied. This is the real difference, which is not in the size of the game collection or bonus size. We consider that safety and control are greater than promotions, slots or live games.
Pattern Recognition
This is not the first time AGCO has taken action against providers, but this situation is higher at the moment. It seems that AGCO started building an enforcement strategy because they started with bulletins, moved to ad penalties, and now they’re going directly for the providers. Also, we consider that if other providers break the rules again, we will see higher fines up to C$250,000 or even licence suspension.
We don’t know for sure if the May 7 situation will make other providers stop serving grey-market sites or if they’ll be more careful about where their games end up. The tile will pass, and we will always be here to inform you.
How to Verify a Site is AGCO-Licensed
If you want to verify if the site is licensed, follow our tutorial that takes 2 minutes. We consider it essential, and you should do it before you make a deposit. Keep in mind that a lot of sites look Canadian, but this doesn’t mean that they come with an AGCO licence.
What to Do:
- Check the casino footer and look for the Ontario licence or AGCO symbol.
- Check the logo seal or registration number. Click the seal, and you should be redirected to the official website of the regulator. If not, you will be redirected to the official website of the casino; this is a red flag.
- Check the public data on AGCO/iGO and see if the casino name appears.
- The currency must be CAD. Ontario-licensed casinos will never let players run accounts in USD or crypto.
- You must also check the responsible gambling section. Look for Betguard or Ontario self-exclusion tools.
- If the casino pushes crypto payments, offshore bonuses, VPNs or anonymous accounts, it is not regulated.
Use this tutorial every time you want to become a new customer. Better safe than sorry. If you want to go deeper into how to identify scam casinos in Canada, you should read our article, where our experts identified many red flags you should know before you make a deposit.
Responsible Play
Players who feel their gambling is getting harder to control can enrol in BetGuard, iGaming Ontario’s centralised self-exclusion tool that launched on May 14, 2026. A single enrolment excludes the user from all 82 currently licensed Ontario sites for six months, one year, three years, five years, or a custom duration. Once activated, the exclusion cannot be shortened.
ConnexOntario, the province’s 24/7 mental health and addictions helpline, can be reached at 1-866-531-2600 in English, French, and multiple other languages.
Sources
- AGCO via Newswire, “AGCO takes enforcement action against two companies for allowing their games on unregulated gaming websites” — https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/agco-takes-enforcement-action-against-two-companies-for-allowing-their-games-on-unregulated-gaming-websites-811679469.html
- Gambling Insider, “Ontario’s AGCO Fines Arrise, Relax Gaming Over Unregulated Casino Websites” — https://www.gamblinginsider.com/news/159294/ontario-agco-fines-arrise-relax-gaming-unregulated-casino-websites
- CP24, “Ontario regulator fines 2 gaming companies $40K each after their games found on unregulated gambling websites” — https://www.cp24.com/local/toronto/2026/05/07/ontario-regulator-fines-2-gaming-companies-40k-each-after-their-games-found-on-unregulated-gambling-websites/
- Gaming Intelligence, “Canada’s AGCO issues penalties to Relax Gaming and Arrise Solutions” — https://www.gamingintelligence.com/legal/230353-canadas-agco-issues-penalties-to-relax-gaming-and-arrise-solutions/
