NorthStar Gaming’s Fine Slashed by CA$10,000: A CDC Gaming Update

It appears that NorthStar Gaming will not be penalized CA$30,000 (US$20,800) by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) after all.

In October, the AGCO declared it would impose a fine on NorthStar Gaming for the sum “for failing to guarantee that their platform, NorthStarBets.ca, is accessible solely to players in Ontario along with other infractions.”

The AGCO indicated that the problem with NorthStarBets.ca was discovered through external compliance monitoring of registered internet gaming providers. Games available on gaming platforms registered in Ontario must only be accessible within Ontario, “unless conducted alongside the government of another province,” the AGCO stated in a release at that time.

During the preliminary evaluation, assessments were carried out from locations in Quebec and New York state to ascertain if Ontario-registered gaming platforms were reachable from outside Ontario. NorthStarBets.ca did not accurately recognize the location of one of the devices used during the assessment.

Moreover, AGCO concluded that NorthStar had committed a “repeated breach” of failing to supply the AGCO with data, documents, and information in a “prompt manner.”

Of the total $30,000 in fines, $20,000 was attributed to NorthStar’s “failure to reply promptly to the Registrar’s ongoing requests for information regarding the alleged access to the site from outside Ontario.”

Since then, the AGCO mentioned it was collaborating with NorthStar to ensure that the pointed-out problems were resolved.

Then on Monday, the AGCO released a brief announcement indicating that NorthStar had been supplying them with information and was determined not to have breached Standard 3.02 (games on gaming sites are only to be available within Ontario).

“Consequently, the AGCO has rescinded the $10,000 segment of the fines related to Standard 3.02, and NorthStar has consented to pay the remaining penalties,” the statement indicated.

GDC Gaming has attempted to obtain a comment from NorthStar Gaming but has not yet received a response.