Ontario’s public confidence in gaming is largely based upon the integrity and fairness of the games and gaming systems in play. The Technical and Laboratory Services (T&LS) Branch supports the regulation of gaming technology by providing expert technical assessments, services and approvals to ensure the technical integrity of gaming products and systems.
The games and technology that T&LS assesses, tests and approves are played throughout the province in all gaming sectors regulated by the AGCO including casino gaming, charitable/raffle gaming, lotteries and iGaming.
Gaming Laboratory
The AGCO Gaming Laboratory (Gaming Lab) is composed of a team of highly qualified and experienced experts in an in-house lab that is equipped with the same gaming systems used in gaming sites in Ontario. Using state-of-the-art test equipment, the team thoroughly analyzes and examines all aspects of the gaming systems.
The Gaming Lab and team are accredited to the international standard ISO 17025:2005 for testing laboratories, considered the international benchmark for excellence in testing laboratories. This achievement sets the AGCO apart as the only known gaming regulator with an in-house accredited gaming lab. The Gaming Lab’s accreditation status is reconfirmed annually through internal and external audits that validate the ongoing quality of the assessments and testing performed.
In 2018-2019, the Gaming Lab received feedback through its anonymous survey of operators, with respondents indicating excellent (89%) or good (11%) ratings for customer satisfaction areas surveyed, including approval turnaround times and supporting the introduction of new technology.
TABLE 19 – Gaming Laboratory
|
|
2017-18 |
2018-19 |
|---|---|---|
|
Electronic gaming-related products requested for approval |
2,774 |
2,731 |
|
Products with regulatory issues discovered by the AGCO that |
567 |
448 |
Note: The average turnaround time for approval was 19 days, which is industry leading according to gaming-related suppliers and 21% faster than in 2017-2018. The goal is to maintain or further improve the turnaround time in the upcoming fiscal year.