The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has fined Booming Games CA$70,000 after discovering prohibited auto-play functionality had been available to Ontario players across several online slot titles.
According to the regulator, the feature remained active for several months before being identified through AGCO's proactive compliance monitoring. Once the issue was detected, the regulator notified the affected iGaming operator and the auto-play function was disabled.
Ontario's internet gaming standards prohibit auto-play because it removes the requirement for players to manually initiate each wager. Regulators argue that the pause between spins is an important responsible gambling measure, giving players an opportunity to reassess their play before continuing and reducing the risk of prolonged, uninterrupted gambling sessions.
The AGCO found that Booming Games had failed to properly configure, test and monitor its games to ensure they complied with provincial requirements throughout their operational lifecycle. As a registered gaming supplier, the company is responsible for ensuring its products remain compliant both before launch and while they are available to players.
The monetary penalties relate to two breaches of Ontario's Internet Gaming Standards: offering slot games containing prohibited auto-play functionality and failing to carry out sufficient monitoring and testing to ensure approved gaming systems continued operating as required.
The regulator said Ontario maintains some of the strictest game design requirements in North America, with rules extending beyond auto-play to include minimum intervals between spins and restrictions on features that disguise losses as wins through celebratory sounds or misleading visual effects.
The latest enforcement action follows a series of regulatory interventions by the AGCO. Last month, the regulator imposed CA$170,000 in penalties against Great Canadian Entertainment over failures to identify suspicious activity, including potential money laundering indicators, at Pickering Casino Resort. Earlier, the operator was also fined CA$120,000 for using unauthorised gaming system software across four Ontario casinos.
Booming Games has the right to appeal the penalty before Ontario's independent Licence Appeal Tribunal within 15 days.
Ontario prohibits auto-play on online slot games because players must manually initiate every spin, creating a pause designed to encourage informed gambling decisions
