TORONTO — The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has fined Great Canadian Entertainment $120,000 after inspectors found unauthorized bill‑validator software running on slot machines at four of the company’s casino properties.
In a notice released Monday, the regulator said it identified 40 instances in which revoked or unapproved gaming software was deployed between Feb. 20 and March 15, 2025. The violations involved bill validators — the components inside electronic gaming machines that authenticate currency and record cash transactions, forming part of Ontario’s anti‑money‑laundering and gaming‑integrity controls.
AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr said the use of unapproved software “bypasses critical safeguards that are meant to uphold the integrity of gaming and the public’s confidence in the system.”
Great Canadian operates 12 casinos in Ontario, meaning roughly one‑third of its provincial portfolio was affected. Several of those properties are among Ontario’s highest‑revenue gaming sites, according to recent municipal payment data published by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. Municipalities receive quarterly revenue‑sharing payments based on slot‑machine performance and, where applicable, table‑game and sportsbook activity.
In the quarter ending March 31, 2026, Casino Woodbine generated just over $4 million in municipal payments, while Casino Pickering contributed nearly $3.8 million, both operated by Great Canadian.
Schnarr said the regulator “will continue to hold all casino operators accountable for meeting Ontario’s high standards of gaming system integrity.”
Under provincial rules, operators served with an Order of Monetary Penalty have 15 days to appeal the decision to the License Appeal Tribunal.
