AGCO Fines Great Canadian $170K Over Money Laundering Controls at Pickering Casino

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has fined casino operator Great Canadian Entertainment for the second consecutive week, this time issuing a CAD $170,000 penalty following an investigation into suspicious money laundering activity at Pickering Casino Resort.

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

Audit Finds 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 behaviour 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.”

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 snapshot of the financial performance of land-based casinos in the province.

OLG uses a formula to calculate payments returned to municipalities that host casinos – 5.25% on the first $65 million of slot revenue, 3.0% on the next $135 million of slot revenue, 2.5% on the next $300 million of slot revenue, 0.5% on the slot revenue above $500 million, 4.0% of table game revenue, and 4.0% of sportsbook revenue.

Based on that formula, Pickering Casino Resort is 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).