The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has imposed a $170,000 monetary penalty on Great Canadian Entertainment after a compliance audit identified significant deficiencies in the casino’s anti‑money‑laundering controls.
The audit revealed that several high‑risk patrons at Pickering Casino Resort were neither properly assessed nor continuously monitored, and that required suspicious activity reports were not filed in multiple instances.
Ontario’s gaming regulations mandate that casino operators maintain robust systems for detecting and responding to suspicious behavior, including potential money‑laundering activity, to safeguard the integrity of the province’s gaming sector.
Investigators concluded that Great Canadian Entertainment lacked adequate processes to identify and prevent unlawful activity, failed to conduct sufficient risk assessments, and did not consistently analyze player transactions for warning signs.
The regulator also found that the operator did not implement risk‑based policies that would trigger escalated responses when patrons exhibited recognized indicators of possible money laundering.
Agency officials emphasized that proactive identification and reporting of suspicious activity are essential to preserving public confidence and the effectiveness of protective safeguards.
Great Canadian Entertainment may appeal the penalty within 15 days, after which the matter will be reviewed by the Licence Appeal Tribunal, an independent adjudicative body.
The commission oversees Ontario’s alcohol, cannabis, gaming, and horse‑racing sectors, applying a risk‑based regulatory approach focused on compliance, integrity, and public safety.
