The AGCO recognizes that capable and motivated employees are critical to achieving business objectives and increasing capacity to better deliver services. As a result, the AGCO is committed to fostering a work environment where:
Now in its third year of operation, the Horse Racing Appeal Panel (HRAP or Panel) continues to be focused on providing a fair, open and accessible process for all parties.
The AGCO’s enhanced planning process aligns the agency’s major initiatives to the three Strategic Goals across all levels of the organization. This approach ensures the work that is currently underway, as well as any future initiatives, will continue to align with the AGCO’s Strategic Plan. This enhanced planning process is meant to track and report on progress of ongoing initiatives, while also informing the consideration of new initiatives.
There are a number of major initiatives that are underway or planned for the coming year, and beyond. These initiatives represent the AGCO’s support of government priorities and the agency’s commitment to undertake initiatives to achieve the AGCO Strategic Plan and are closely connected to the external factors identified in the earlier environmental scan and risks section.
The external and internal factors outlined above carry a number of risks and uncertainties which, if left unaddressed, could adversely affect the achievement of the AGCO’s Strategic Goals. The AGCO leverages sound risk management methodologies through the continued use and enhancement of an Enterprise Risk Management Framework to monitor and mitigate these environmental risk factors.
Marketplace evolution within the liquor and gaming sectors, along with government initiatives and legal and regulatory reforms such as recreational cannabis legalization, have continued to expand the AGCO’s regulatory authority. To help manage the operational and financial pressures related to this expanded mandate, the AGCO continues to implement its long-term direction through its Strategic Plan.
The liquor, gaming, horse racing, and cannabis sectors in Ontario have become increasingly complex, global and dynamic. This reality challenges the AGCO to adapt its regulatory approach while maintaining a high degree of public confidence in fulfilling its regulatory mandate in these sectors. In particular, these sectors operate within a multifaceted social and economic context where business considerations need to be balanced with public safety and public health issues related to liquor, cannabis, gambling and horse racing.
The AGCO oversees, promotes and enforces compliance with its legislation while protecting the public’s interests in accordance with the principles of honesty, integrity and social responsibility, and in alignment with government and ministry priorities. The following core activities enable the AGCO to effectively fulfill its mandate in Ontario’s alcohol, gaming, horse racing and storefront recreational cannabis sectors:
The AGCO is an arm’s length regulatory agency of the provincial government, reporting to the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG), that was established February 23, 1998 under the Alcohol, Cannabis and Gaming Regulation and Public Protection Act, 1996.
