The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is an Ontario
Crown agency
A crown agency was an administrative body of the British Empire, distinct from the Civil Service Commission of Great Britain or the government administration of the national entity in which it operated. These enterprises were overseen from 1833 ...
that reports to the
Ministry of the Attorney General
The Attorney General of Ontario is the chief legal adviser to His Majesty the King in Right of Ontario and, by extension, the Government of Ontario. The Attorney General is a senior member of the Executive Council of Ontario (the cabinet) an ...
. The AGCO is responsible for regulating the liquor, gaming, cannabis and horse racing sectors in accordance with the principles of honesty and integrity, and in the public interest.
Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the AGCO include the administration of the:
*
Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019'
*
Gaming Control Act, 1992'
*
Horse Racing Licence Act, 2015'
*
Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 (Ontario)'
The AGCO also administers sections of the:
''Charity Lottery Licensing Order-in-Council'' 1413/08
History
The Ontario Racing Commission was established in 1950 to oversee horse racing and on and off-track betting in Ontario. It was merged into the AGCO in 1998.
The AGCO was established on February 23, 1998, by the Government of Ontario under the ''
Alcohol and Gaming Regulation and Public Protection Act'' of 1996. This Act transferred responsibility for the ''Liquor Licence Act'' and the ''Gaming Control Act'' to the AGCO. As a result of the establishment of the AGCO, the Government of Ontario passed complementary legislation to extinguish the
Liquor Licence Board of Ontario, the Racing Commission of Ontario, and the
Gaming Control Commission.
On April 1, 2016, the AGCO assumed responsibility for regulating horse racing under the
Horse Racing Licence Act, 2015'.
On October 17, 2018 the AGCO assumed responsibility for regulating private cannabis retail stores under th
Cannabis Licence Act, 2018
On April 4 2022, the AGCO updated restrictions on gambling promotions through which the iGaming companies draw newbies. Since that time lucrative bonus codes, signup deposits and free spins will be available for the gamers from Ontario only directly on the websites of the casinos and betting platforms.
Mandate
Th
mandate of the AGCOis to regulate the liquor, cannabis, gaming and horse racing sectors in accordance with the principles of honesty and integrity, and in the public interest.
References
External links
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario website
{{Canada cannabis agencies
Canadian provincial alcohol departments and agencies
Alcohol in Ontario
Ontario government departments and agencies