Gambling Licence Canada

Januária How to get a Gambling Licence in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada

Gambling License Canada (British Columbia)

British Columbia, Canada, has a proud history of an exceptionally well-managed gaming industry. This comes down to the fact that it is very tightly regulated and is in fact a provincial Crown monopoly. With exceptions for charities and local fairs, no person or entities other than the provincial government itself is legally permitted to supply gambling facilities or services in Canada. The money which is generated by gambling in British Columbia is used to provide health care and education for the people, and supports economic development in local communities. Gambling has long been a source of entertainment in B.C. for anyone over the age of 19, and has been a fantastic revenue driver and tourist attraction.

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Gambling is regulated by The Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch (GPEB). This body ensures the integrity of the industry and its companies, people, and equipment. The GPEB is also responsible for investigations into allegations of illegal activity and misconduct. Their scope of regulation includes lotteries, casinos, commercial bingo halls, all gambling services providers and workers, the horse racing industry, and all licensed gambling events. All this is done under the provincial Gaming Control Act and Gaming Control Regulations as well as Canada’s Criminal Code.

Due to the monopolistic nature of the gambling industry, licenses are not needed unless one is applying to host a gambling event to fundraise for the benefit of their community.

What one can do is register as an operator or supplier of goods and/or services within the industry.

This can be done by filling out three forms:

– an application for registration
– an enterprise disclosure form
– an personal disclosure form.

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The applicant will then be put through a risk assessment which involves reviewing their application material and information obtained in a standard background check. This information is evaluated based on the following five criteria:

– honesty and integrity
– financial responsibility
– compliance with the law
– registration type
– financial gain from registration

Once these checks have been done and the applicant approved, they are then restricted by the terms of the contract entered into with whichever agent of the crown to whom they will be supplying goods or services.

Maintaining Your License

As an individual or business may not hold a license, they are simply registered to supply goods or services to the existing gambling industry run by the provincial government. Registrations however may be revoked. This may be done for any number of reasons but only after ‘disciplinary action short of revocation.’

However, prosecution of gaming offenses is rare due to the monopolistic nature of the industry and the resulting lack of private operators. The legislation which governs gaming is criminal so any prosecutions would be criminal in nature. The rare occasions of charging usually involve illegal card houses or sites hosting illegal gaming activities.

Reporting Requirements

If you need to report any suspicious gambling activity or any wrongdoing related to gambling in B.C. then you can either submit a report online or contact the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch via email or phone. You are also welcome to contact your local police department.

Online service: record a complaint
Toll-free within B.C.: 1 800 663-7867 ask to be transferred to one of the numbers above

Anti-money Laundering

All money laundering offenses are prosecuted at a federal level and are handled by the Public Prosecution Services of Canada. Maximum penalty is imprisonment for a maximum of ten years. You could otherwise walk away with a fine of up to CAD$5000 or serve a prison term of up to six months, or both.

By the Proceeds of Crime (money laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA) all financial institutions and businesses must maintain a compliance program, appoint a compliance officer, and conduct an assessment of money-laundering and terrorist-financing risks. Further rules include recordkeeping, identity verification, and ongoing monitoring and reporting.

Tax

As majority of private corporations operating in the gambling industry in Canada are, of necessity, merely registered suppliers of gambling products and services to the provincial governments, there are no industry-specific taxes or levies. Such companies are required to comply with generally applicable federal and provincial income tax laws, but there is no separate regime of taxes within the industry.

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Software Testing

There is no legislation or case law that specifically criminalises or otherwise prohibits the provision of digital gaming by private companies however all levels of government and all the provincial regulators have taken the position that such operations are illegal and should be shut down.

There have also, to date, never been charges laid against offshore operator so the law in that regard remains untested. Neither the provincial or federal government have taken steps to limit access to such sites.

Fantasy leagues and eSports remain in the grey zone in terms of legality in Canada.

Gambling Licence – Ontario

With a gambling history that dates back to the 14ht century, Canada has a rich history in gaming and Canadians enjoy the sport as much as any other country. In Fact, statistics show that 8 out of 10 Ontarian residents enjoy gambling on a regular basis. However, gambling in Ontario only really took off when their first casino was built in 1993. It was named the Casino Windsor and brought with it the promise of many jobs and plenty money. Despite some nay-sayers the casino was a roaring success which led to the opening of many more, including Casino Rama and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort. As seen throughout Canada, Ontario gambling is also well-controlled and mostly monopolized. Canada’s largest province is currently home to some 25 slots and casino locations with exciting new possibilities in online gambling.

Gambling and Licensing

Gambling in Ontario is regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). AGCO is a provincial regulatory agency which reports to the Ministry of the Attorney General. It was formed under the Alcohol, Cannabis and Gaming Regulation and Public Protection Act of 1996. This means that they are responsible for regulating the alcohol, gaming, horse racing, and cannabis retail sectors within Ontario.
They oversee casino gaming, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) lotteries, charitable gaming, internet gaming, and horse racing. There are six classes of registration:

  • Commercial gaming site operators
  • Gaming related suppliers
  • Non-gaming related suppliers eg. Construction, furnishing, maintenance and repair not directly related to the playing or operating of the gaming site.
  • Category 1 gaming assistants
  • Category 2 gaming assistants
  • Trade Unions

Most lottery and gaming registrations must be done online via the iAGCO portal, this includes renewals. You must create an account and follow the steps given.

For horse racing, you can apply:

– in person at an ACGO Racetrack Licensing office
– by mail. Download the applicable licensing forms, complete them and send to the AGCO head office with the appropriate licensing fee
– by fax or email. Download the applicable licensing forms and complete them. Fax or scan and email to the AGCO head office. Fees can be paid (by Visa or Mastercard) over the phone with AGCO head office.

Maintaining Your License

To maintain your licence you will need to pay the yearly fee and make sure that you/your gaming operation continues to abide by the laws and regulations upheld by the AGCO.
Licensing fees vary depending on what gaming service you offer. For example, there are different fees for different operators:
Operator of a Charitable Gaming Site (4 or more events per week) – $12,000 / site
Operator of a Charitable Gaming Site (3 or less events per week) – $700 / site
Operator of a Commercial Gaming Site – $100,000 / site
Gaming assistants also need to pay fees, for example:

Category 1 Gaming Assistant (Employee with Significant Supervisory or Decision-Making Responsibility) – $300 p/a
Category 2 Gaming Assistant (Employee without Significant Supervisory or Decision-Making Responsibility) – $165 p/a
For a full fees schedule from the AGCO please click here. (https://www.agco.ca/sites/default/files/6083_g_feeschedule.pdf)

Once you have a licence it is your responsibility to make sure it does not expire.
If a licensee does not comply with the laws and regulations there are penalties such as warnings, fines, and even imprisonment. For example, if an individual is convicted they will be liable for a fine of $50 000 or imprisonment for no more than one year, or both. If a corporation is convicted then they will be issued with a fine of no more than $500 000. Each person has the right to a hearing and may request one in writing to be served to the Registrar and the Tribunal within fifteen days of the notice. The Registrar may also issue an immediate order for compliance.

Reporting Requirements

All reporting of suspicious or illegal activity can be made to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).

OLG has established a reporting system which allows anonymous reporting on suspected unethical, illegal or fraudulent activities. A person may report in the following ways:

By visiting www.clearviewconnects.com
Calling toll-free 1-866-637-4523
Mailing your report to CLEARVIEW, P.O Box 11017, Toronto, ON M1E 1N0

Anti-money Laundering policy

Reporting any suspected money laundering or terrorist financing can be done via FINTRAC.

All money laundering offenses are prosecuted at a federal level and are handled by the Public Prosecution Services of Canada. You could otherwise walk away with a fine of up to CAD$5000 or serve a prison term of up to six months, or both. Maximum penalty is imprisonment for a maximum of ten years.

By the Proceeds of Crime (money laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA) all financial institutions and businesses must maintain a compliance program, appoint a compliance officer, and conduct an assessment of money-laundering and terrorist-financing risks. Further rules include recordkeeping, identity verification, and ongoing monitoring and reporting.

Tax

In Ontario the corporate income tax rate is roughly 11.5%.
Unless you are a professional gambler who earns an income from gambling activities, you will not get taxed on your winnings.

Examples of Online Casinos

There is only one online casino regulated by AGCO. PlayOLG is offered by OLG and includes interactive casino-style games such as slots, Blackjack, Baccarat, Poker, Roulette as well as the ability to buy OLG lottery tickets online.

As of April 2019, Ontario was set to change its laws and decided to finally open online gambling to private companies. Whilst this will take time, we hope to see a number of popular gaming sites available by the end of 2019.

Contact Details for the Regulator

Online: iAGCO
Telephone:
Monday to Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm (EST)
Toll-free in Ontario – 1-800-522-2876
General – 416-326-8700
Mail or in person:
Alcohol and Gaming Commision of Ontario
90 Sheppard Avenue East
Suite 200-300
Toronto, Ontario, M2N 0A4

Alternative Online Casino Licenses
If you are looking to license a casino, it is likely best to look towards an alternative jurisdiction since Canada has only one licensed casino and the likelyhood of another is quite remote.
For more information:
Get in touch should you be interested in obtaining a rmeote gambling license for your business.

Get in touch:

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FURTHER INFORMATION ON CURACAO GAMBLING LICENSES

We wrote an article on Curacao Gambling License which may be of interest to you should you be looking for further information.

White Label Casino Providers

White label casino providers

White Labelling is a casino programming choice for people who want to begin their business rapidly and easily. “White Label” refers to a product or service that is made by one company but sold by another the aim of which is increasing customer loyalty and trust.

Instead of going through trial and error, wasting precious time and money, people choose the simpler option, the white label solution. It is a cost effective, comprehensive solution aimed at launching your own casino in the shortest time possible which really saves time on recruitment, staff supervision and quality assurance.

Did you know?
With GamblingTec.com, once certified, you can license and operate your own software under a white label agreement…

Casino software developers

Looking for the best casino game software developers & providers? Look no further.

GamblingTec is a solution for your casino game management software. They have been working on casino games since 2013 and they have highly experienced casino game developers, designers and testers to deliver highly secured and fast games. Their Client base is USA, UK, Africa and other European & Asian Countries.

Online gambling software/ Gambling software

One of the most important factors to consider when you are looking for an online casino to gamble at is what online gambling software the casino uses. While online casinos control things like bonuses and site design, your actual gaming experience relies heavily on the software provider that powers the casino’s website.

High-quality online gambling software provides you with:

  • An exciting visual experience
  • An interface that runs well whether you are playing through an internet browser on your desktop or an app on your phone
  • Games that offer enticing jackpots and prize money.

There are many different gambling software providers that license games to online casinos all over the world and every software provider has something different to offer, so it’s best to try out several and see what you like best!

Turnkey casino/ Turnkey casino website

Turnkey casino is a very adaptable gambling programming answer to suit all your business needs. It is a self-owned multifunctional online casino that gives you unlimited customisation opportunities. A turnkey script is a product sold in a ready to use condition. It is very common in the world of digital products and comes with great advantages like the following:

  • It is already bug tested and bug-free, so you won’t have any problems when using it.
  • It is very flexible and comes with many features to satisfy the most common needs of the customers.
  • It is optimized so it would work on any type of system that supports PHP and MySQL.
  • By purchasing a turnkey casino solution, you will just have to install the script correctly and everything will work perfectly.

By registering to get a turnkey casino website and becoming an affiliate, you might save yourself a good deal of hassle and cash which would be your duty. Turnkey casino clients can concentrate with peace of mind to their marketing activities while relying on matured, solid and at the same time innovative gaming platforms.

Starting your own online casino

Starting an online gaming business is a daunting task so before you start an online gaming website here are 6 important facts to consider:

  • Choose a reliable iGaming software provider.
  • Know exactly what you want to include on your gambling website for your customers.
  • Obtain a gambling licence for the targeted jurisdiction
  • Choose a payment system provider
  • Work on your website’s design
  • Implement a marketing strategy including loyalty and retention programs.

On-going efforts must be made in order to maintain high standards and keep your customers fully satisfied. At the end of the day, it’s the joint effort of your software provider and your marketing and sales departments that need to align in order to bring your business forward.

Online casino platforms

Online casinos, also known as virtual casinos or internet casinos, are online versions of traditional casinos, it enables gamblers to play though the internet. Many online casinos rent or buy their software from companies like Amaya, International Game Technology, Microgaming, Playtech, Golden Race and Realtime Gaming offering games such as Llive dealer games, lottery, mobile casinos, mobile live dealer, and mobile lottery.

Game providers/ Online gaming software

Game software developers require a bachelor’s degree with a specialization in a program such as game engineering or game design and development. A strong knowledge of various computer programming languages is also essential for success in the field.

Some of the top gaming software companies are:

  • IGT Interactive (International Game Technology)
  • Cryptologic
  • NetEntertainment
  • Microgaming
  • Playtech

How to get a gambling license for your casino software?

Getting a gambling license for your casino software business can be expensive especially if you choose to setup and apply for a Curacao license or a Malta license. However, going through this expense is unncessary when you can work with a company such as GamblingTec.com who will issue you with a white label casino license in order for you to operate your your software (once it has been certified).