The Pickering Casino Resort has been fined $170,000 in penalties by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario for allegedly failing to properly identify, assess, and monitor high-risk patrons and report suspicious activity.
The commission's compliance audit allegedly identified several failures by Great Canadian Entertainment to adequately assess and track high-risk patrons who were not subject to required enhanced scrutiny.
The review also found that required suspicious activity reports were allegedly not filed in a number of cases where patrons showed signs of potential money laundering.
The commission requires casino operators to take a proactive approach to identifying and reporting suspicious activity, according to Karin Schnarr, the chief executive and registrar of the commission.
When high-risk behaviour is not properly monitored or reported, it weakens important safeguards that protect the integrity of Ontario's gaming sector, Schnarr stated.
The commission will continue to hold operators accountable to high standards of responsible operation, Schnarr added.
A casino operator served with a penalty has the right to appeal the registrar's action within 15 days to the Licence Appeal Tribunal, an independent adjudicative body.
