Casino / Slot Registration FAQs

Registrants must be eighteen (18) years of age or over and must meet high standards of honesty, integrity and financial responsibility. In addition, anyone seeking employment at a casino or slot machine facility must have a conditional offer of employment from the casino operator or Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) before his or her application for registration will be considered by the AGCO.

The AGCO’s employee registration forms require an authorized signing official for the casino operator or OLG to certify that the employee has been offered a position at a gaming facility, conditional on the employee being registered by the AGCO. The signing official must also specify which position the employee has been conditionally chosen for.

The AGCO employs a risk-based approach to the processing of applications for gaming registrations. For more information about risk-based registration, please see Information Bulletin No. 68 - AGCO Implements Risk-based Registration to Process Gaming Registrations.

If an employee exercises any of the following responsibilities as part of his or her regular work duties, he or she is required to register with the AGCO:

• Delivers gaming (e.g. supervise game play, handle or pay out cash, etc.)
• Accesses, repairs or modifies gaming-related equipment or systems (e.g. to effect repairs or inspect or test equipment)
• Monitors, handles or protects gaming-related assets or money (e.g. count staff, oversee reconciliations, etc.)
• Works primarily in a sensitive area of the gaming site (e.g. surveillance)
• Controls or supervises access to the property or sensitive areas (e.g. security)
• Accesses gaming floor as part of regular work duties
• Establishes the policy or strategic direction of the organization or gaming site

For further information on whether you are required to be registered, inquire with your prospective employer or else feel free to contact our AGCO’s Customer Service Department at 416-326-8700 (GTA) or 1-800-522-2879 (toll-free in Ontario).

There are two main types of suppliers who must be registered: gaming-related suppliers and non-gaming related suppliers. In addition, operators of gaming sites (e.g. casinos, bingo halls) and trade unions representing gaming assistants at gaming sites must be registered as well.

Gaming-related suppliers are defined under the Gaming Contol Act, 1992 as those that manufacture, provide, install, test, maintain or repair gaming equipment or who provide consulting or similar services related to the playing of a lottery scheme or the operation of a gaming site.

Non-gaming related suppliers are defined under the Gaming Control Act, 1992 as those that provide goods or services that relate to construction, furnishing, repair, maintenance or business of a gaming site or related business, but that in the opinion of the Registrar of Alcohol and Gaming, are not directly related to the playing of a lottery scheme or the operation of the gaming site.

A business may be exempt from the requirements to register with AGCO as a non-gaming-related supplier if:

1. the value of the goods or services to be supplied to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) and/or other gaming operators in a 12 month period starting April 1 and ending March 31 of the next year is $750,000 or less, and
2. the OLG has carried out a due diligence investigation of the business that satisfies the Registrar of Alcohol and Gaming that the person would meet the standards and requirements that would apply to the providing of the goods and services if the business were registered.

A business may also be exempt from the requirement to register if it is regulated by the Government of Ontario or Canada or by an agency of either, and the regulating body has carried out a due diligence investigation of the business that is satisfactory to the Registrar of Alcohol and Gaming.

Non-gaming related suppliers are defined under the Gaming Control Act, 1992 as those that provide goods or services that relate to the construction, furnishing, repair, maintenance or business of a gaming site or related business, but that in the opinion of the Registrar of Alcohol and Gaming, are not directly related to the playing of a lottery scheme or the operation of the gaming site.

No. Only non gaming-related suppliers may qualify for an exemption. A supplier of slot machines is a gaming-related supplier.

No. Suppliers that are eligible for an exemption under the Gaming Control Act, 1992 are not required to apply or pay a yearly fee to the AGCO to establish or maintain their exempt status.

However, please keep in mind that the OLG and/or other gaming operators may have their own due diligence process to ensure suppliers operate in accordance with the law and with honesty, integrity and financial responsibility.

No. However, as a precondition to the registration of the supplier, all of their officers and directors are required to disclose personal background information, in a form provided by the AGCO. In addition, personal background information must be disclosed by all officers and directors of any parent companies of the supplier.

If any of these officers or directors do not meet the statutory requirements of honesty, integrity and financial responsibility, the supplier may be refused registration.

No. However, as a precondition to the registration of the supplier, all of their shareholders (including any parent or holding corporations) owning 5% or more of any class of shares will be required to provide background information, in a form provided by the AGCO. If any of these shareholders do not meet the statutory requirements of honesty, integrity and financial responsibility, the registration of the supplier may be refused.

No. However, as a precondition to the registration of the supplier, all of their principal employees are required to disclose personal information in a form provided by the AGCO. Principal employees include:

1. Any individual who needs ongoing access to sensitive areas* of an Ontario gaming site on behalf of the applicant;
2. Any individual who negotiates or sets prices on behalf of the applicant with an operator of an Ontario gaming site;
3. Any individual who has signing authority related to the applicant’s business dealings with an Ontario gaming site; or;
4. Any individual who has or will have ultimate decision-making authority over the applicant’s day-to-day business dealings with an operator of an Ontario gaming site.

* “Sensitive areas” are any area that requires strict access controls to secure the gaming facility and/or safeguard gaming integrity or assets. Individuals who work with or service gaming equipment would also be considered to be accessing a “sensitive area”.

If a principal employee does not meet the statutory requirements of honesty, integrity and financial responsibility, the registration of the supplier may be refused.

Although fees will be collected on an annual basis, the registration period is four years.