Double Trouble: Great Canadian Hit with $170K Money Laundering Fine Weeks After Software Penalty

Great Canadian Entertainment’s regulatory troubles are deepening in Ontario. For the second consecutive week, the AGCO has penalized the casino operator—this time levying a CAD $170,000 fine after discovering the company failed to flag high-risk patrons and report potential money laundering indicators at its Pickering property.

Last week (June 29), the AGCO fined Great Canadian Entertainment CAD $120,000 for using unauthorized gaming system software at four Ontario casinos.

Audit Reveals Failures

The latest penalty hits the company for “failing to adequately identify, assess, and monitor high-risk patrons and report suspicious activity, including potential money laundering indicators at Pickering Casino Resort,” according to an AGCO statement.

The AGCO compliance audit revealed that Great Canadian Entertainment failed to have adequate mechanisms in place to identify and track high-risk patrons at the casino and didn’t file required Suspicious Transaction Reports in several situations where patrons showed potential money laundering indicators.

“The AGCO requires casino operators to take a proactive approach to identifying and reporting suspicious activity,” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar, AGCO.

“When high-risk behavior is not properly monitored or reported, it weakens important safeguards that protect the integrity of Ontario’s gaming sector. The AGCO will continue to hold operators accountable to high standards of responsible operation,” Schnarr added.

Money Laundering Concerns

A casino operator that is given an Order of Monetary Penalty can appeal the decision within 15 days to the Licence Appeal Tribunal, an adjudicative body independent of the AGCO.

In response, Chuck Keeling, Executive Vice President, External Relations and Business Development, Great Canadian Entertainment, provided Casino.org with the following statement:

“We accept the findings of AGCO’s audit and the importance of a robust and comprehensive regulatory regime that maintains the highest standards for the conduct of gaming in Ontario. Adhering to such standards will continue to be foundational for our operations moving forward.”

Appeal Process Available

Quarterly reports from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) detailing casino payments to municipalities provide a sharp snapshot of the financial performance of land-based casinos in the province. OLG uses a standardized formula to calculate payments returned to host communities: 5.25% on the first $65 million of slot revenue, 3.0% on the next $135 million, 2.5% on the next $300 million, 0.5% on slot revenue exceeding $500 million, and a flat 4.0% on both table game and sportsbook revenue.

Based on that graduated scale, Pickering Casino Resort remains one of the province’s top revenue-generating gaming properties. The casino returned $3.38 million to the municipality in Q4 (ended March 31, 2026), trailing only Casino Woodbine ($4 million) and Niagara Falls ($3.56 million).