Another sportsbook has been hit with a fine from Ontario sports betting regulators.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario fined DraftKings Sportsbook C$100,000, according to an AGCO release Thursday. The penalty is for infractions of the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming for ON sports betting.
“The AGCO will continue to monitor the activities of all registered operators and hold them to high standards of responsible gambling, player protection and game integrity,” AGCO CEO and Registrar Tom Mungham said in a statement. “It is in the public interest that we ensure they are meeting their obligations under Ontario’s Gaming Control Act and the Standards.”
What did DraftKings do in Ontario?
According to the AGCO, DraftKings posted or aired several inducements of boosted odds. Operators cannot advertise bonuses to the general public, according to Ontario sports betting regulations.
DraftKings advertised the boosted odds on TV and social media channels between May 19 and May 31. Ontario regulations only allow for operators to include the promotions on their websites or through direct advertising after gaining a player’s consent.
“We are committed to complying with all applicable regulations in every jurisdiction in which we operate,” DraftKings said in a statement to LSR. “Upon being informed of the potential issue shortly after our launch, we took immediate action to remove the assets in question.”
DraftKings can appeal the regulatory penalty. The sportsbook operator launched Ontario sports betting in May.
Third penalty for Ontario sportsbooks
In early May, the AGCO fined BetMGM and PointsBet for breaching the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming.
Regulators hit BetMGM with a C$48,000 fine for four separate incidents. One of the violations was a tweet that read, “the more money you put in per bet, the higher your chance is of winning.”
The AGCO fined PointsBet C$30,000 for two incidents of advertising free play within the GO Transit system. The infractions occurred both on trains and in stations.
Ontario sports betting grows
Provinces gained the ability to regulate single-event sports betting in Canada in August 2021.
Provincial lotteries were the first to launch, while Ontario was the first to open the market to commercial operators in April.
There are 21 live gaming operators in Ontario, according to the iGaming Ontario website.
