Weekend Report: AGCO penalises Great Canadian Entertainment, Betca receives Dutch warning, Paf partners F1 legend
Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB looks at the news that you may have missed across the last few days. This week: AGCO raps Great Canadian Gaming for age verification failures, Dutch regulator issues warning to Betca and Paf partners with F1 legend Kimi Raikkonen.
AGCO penalises Great Canadian Entertainment
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has fined Great Canadian Entertainment CA$151,00 (US$108,396) for age verification failures.
The operator is said to have failed to prevent minors from accessing gambling on multiple occasions at three Toronto-area casinos.
AGCO found four separate incidents in which minors gained access to the casino floors and participated in gambling. Two cases occurred at the Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto and one each at Casino Ajax and Pickering Casino Resort.
“We are committed to ensuring casinos meet Ontario’s high standards of harm reduction and responsible gambling,” AGCO said. “This enforcement action underscores the AGCO’s dedication to protecting youth and other vulnerable individuals.”
Great Canadian Entertainment has the right to appeal the decision to the Licence Appeal Tribunal.
Dutch regulator issues warning to Betca
Also facing regulatory wrath is Betca, which has been issued a warning by Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) in the Netherlands.
KSA said Betca featured a gambling-related advert within its mobile game, Tiny Tower. This was an advert for gambling website Circus.nl.
Dutch law prohibits gambling ads from appearing in non-gambling online games or websites with games. As such, KSA contacted Betca about the breach.
Betca said the advert was accidentally shown as a result of a human error. The operator said it immediately rectified the issue by removing the ad, adding that it was aimed at people who had previously visited Circus.nl and who indicated they were over 24.
KSA opted against further sanctions at this time but said it would continue to monitor Betca.
Bank of Ireland rolls out voluntary gambling blocks
Elsewhere, Bank of Ireland has launched voluntary blocks on debit cards for customers who want to stop spending on gambling.
The feature can be put in place following a customer request. It stops card payments to gambling operators, with intent to block use of online casinos, slot machines and lottery websites.
Customers can request a block on both personal and business debit cards. Bank of Ireland said blocking will also be extended to credit cards in the coming months.
Announcing the tool, Bank of Ireland said 90% of gambling transactions took place online in Q1. It added that 99% of these were funded using debit cards.
Norman to remain as ATG chair
Meanwhile, Sweden’s AB Trav och Galopp (ATG) has announced that Peter Norman is to remain as its chairman.
Norman was reelected at a general meeting last week. He has served as chair since mid-2023.
“I am proud and grateful to continue to lead ATG’s board,” Norman said. “This is a unique year, as for the first time the board is entirely appointed by our owners.”
During the same meeting, three new members were elected to the board: Katarina Bonde, Mårten Forste and Marie Thelander Dellhag. This means that for the first time, the Swedish state does not hold a majority on the board.
Paf links up with Formula 1 legend Kimi Raikkonen
And finally this week, Finnish operator Paf has entered into a new partnership with Formula 1 legend Kimi Raikkonen.
Raikkonen, also from Finland, will work with Paf across a range of initiatives. This includes the operator’s charitable initiatives.
However, the deal remains subject to Paf securing a licence in the new-look Finnish market. Authorities aim to implement a new online licensing system at the beginning of 2027.
“We’re proud to welcome Kimi to the Paf team,” Paf Manager Thomas Näsman said. “He’s a true Finnish icon and we value his honesty and no-nonsense approach, qualities that align perfectly with our brand.”
Raikkonen won the Formula 1 World Drivers’ Championship in 2007.