The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has issued a CA$120,000 penalty against Ontario Gaming GTA Limited Partnership, which operates as Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, after concluding that the casino failed to detect a cheating scheme involving two dealers and a group of patrons . According to the regulator, the misconduct occurred on multiple occasions and generated nearly CA$20,000 in illicit winnings in less than a week .
The AGCO said the matter began after the Ontario Provincial Police Investigation and Enforcement Bureau, embedded within the commission, laid charges against five individuals in March 2024 . A subsequent compliance review found that the dealers had engaged in a cheat scheme with the same group of patrons, including allegedly exposing cards that should have remained face down, overdrawing dealer cards, and issuing overpayments on winning hands .
In its announcement, the AGCO said Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto’s surveillance and supervisory pit staff failed to detect the scheme, and that casino staff also did not follow proper table games audit procedures . The regulator said those procedures are intended to ensure that dealers and patrons follow the rules of play .
Dr. Karin Schnarr, the AGCO’s chief executive officer and registrar, said Ontario’s registered casino operators have an obligation to protect the integrity of game play and to detect and prevent collusion and cheating . She added that the AGCO will continue to monitor and take steps to uphold the integrity of gaming in Ontario .
The penalty is an order of monetary penalty, and the operator has the right to appeal the registrar’s decision to the Licence Appeal Tribunal . The AGCO also noted that this was the casino’s second recent incident involving allegations of cheat-at-play and dealer collusion .
The decision adds to a period of regulatory scrutiny for Great Canadian Entertainment in Ontario. A separate report from CTV News said the company was also fined CA$120,000 by the AGCO for unauthorized gaming software use after revoked or unapproved bill validator software was discovered at four Ontario casinos. That report said the AGCO found 40 instances of the software between February 20 and March 15, 2025.
Regulatory Context
Ontario’s casino sector operates under strict standards aimed at protecting fairness, transparency, and game integrity . In this case, the AGCO’s findings focused on the operator’s internal controls rather than on a broader public-safety issue, but the enforcement action still signals the regulator’s emphasis on compliance monitoring and staff oversight .
The penalty may be especially notable because the regulator said the cheating went undetected by both surveillance and supervisory staff . For casino operators, that kind of failure can draw scrutiny not only over the conduct itself but also over the effectiveness of internal controls, audits, and reporting systems .
Great Canadian Entertainment, one of Canada’s largest gaming and hospitality operators, has faced several Ontario regulatory actions in recent months. The latest penalty underscores how closely provincial regulators continue to watch casino compliance, especially where cheating, collusion, or unauthorized systems are involved.