May 9, 2023
Over the past several years, significant change and positive transformation have continued to be part of the AGCO’s journey, and the 2022-23 fiscal year was no exception.
April 4, 2022, marked a historic milestone - Ontario was the first Canadian province to launch an open, regulated internet gaming (igaming) market. Since then, Ontarians have been able to play on world class igaming sites under a safer, fully regulated framework. From most perspectives, the first year of the regulated market was a great success. As of March 31, 2023, 45 operators are live in Ontario and the AGCO has approved over 5,000 certified games for use in the province. We continue to work alongside the AGCO’s subsidiary, iGaming Ontario (iGO), towards achieving the government’s objectives of providing consumer choice, ensuring player protection, supporting the growth of the legal igaming market and generating provincial revenues for the benefit of Ontarians. In the past year, many jurisdictions have pointed to Ontario’s market launch as a model of success. In October 2022, the AGCO was awarded the International Association of Gaming Regulators’ (IAGR) Regulatory Excellence Award for its work on developing and implementing the regulatory framework for igaming.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the AGCO committed to providing support to our licensees and registrants as they navigated unprecedented challenges. In 2022-23, the AGCO permanently adopted several measures that had originally been put in place on a temporary basis to ease the burden on individuals and businesses caused by the pandemic. Notable examples include liquor reforms such as takeout and delivery of liquor with food from eligible liquor sales license premises and a new framework for temporary outdoor physical extensions (temporary patios). Charitable gaming reforms were also made such as allowing credit card transactions and decreasing the number of charity representatives required to be present at Bingo Revenue Model halls.
Our work with the cannabis sector this year included amendments in June 2022 to the Registrars Standards for Cannabis Retail Stores, focusing on the reduction of anti-competitive industry practices. The AGCO also provided expertise and support on possible amendments to the federal Cannabis Act to the Expert Panel leading the review.
This past year also saw some important changes for the alcohol sector, starting with a new caterer’s endorsement for licensed manufacturers which came into effect in April. In addition, we implemented a new approval framework for temporary outdoor physical extensions (temporary patios) for liquor sales licensees. This new approval framework came into effect on January 1, 2023.
Throughout 2022-23, the AGCO continued to work closely with Horse Racing industry experts on equine welfare reforms, several of which are anticipated to take effect in Spring 2023. And the AGCO has worked with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and the Province’s casinos to support post pandemic recovery efforts, with a balanced approach to public safety with regulatory burden reduction.
The AGCO continued to demonstrate its commitment to responding to the findings of the Auditor General of Ontario’s 2020 Value for Money Audit. Since the report’s release, the AGCO has implemented 40% of the Auditor General’s recommended action items in areas such as compliance and inspection activities, regulatory processes and public transparency. Another 21% are underway and remain a priority for the AGCO in the coming year.
Building on our response to the Value for Money Audit, a Funding Framework Review has been initiated by the AGCO with the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG) to move towards becoming a more financially self-sufficient regulatory agency.
In line with the Government of Ontario’s Digital Service focus and commitment towards new digital practices and technologies to deliver simpler, faster, better services to Ontarians, the AGCO prioritized the development of a Digital Strategy to guide and prioritize the agency’s digitalization efforts.
The AGCO is proud to serve the people of Ontario, and continue implementation of our multi-year Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DI&A) strategy. We are committed to the sustainable integration of DI&A with our operations to enhance organizational effectiveness and uphold our “People First” approach.
In addition to services we provide externally, our DI&A journey requires equal focus on our internal workforce. This year, AGCO leaders were provided with Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) training, a comprehensive diversity and inclusion training program providing concrete ways to engage in respectful and positive interactions. An employee census was launched to develop a baseline for employee demographics, which will enable us to gather, understand and report on measurable results of DI&A efforts. The 2022-23 fiscal year brought positive change and forward movement to the AGCO. We pride ourselves on our consistent and continued efforts to support the sectors we regulate while upholding a steadfast commitment to the safety of Ontarians.
Tom Mungham
Chief Executive Officer