Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario
Canadian provincial regulatory agency From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is a Crown agency that reports to the Ministry of the Attorney General in the Government of Ontario. 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.
 | This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral. (May 2025) |
Remove ads
History
Summarize
Perspective
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.[1]
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.[2] 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.[3]
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 the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018.[4]
On July 6, 2021, the Government of Ontario established iGaming Ontario (iGO), a subsidiary under the AGCO, to oversee and regulate online gaming operations offered by private gaming companies (also known as operators) within the province in accordance with Canada’s Criminal Code.[5] On April 4, 2022, the iGaming market opened, and operators became eligible to offer their games to players in Ontario.[6] On May 12, 2025, iGaming Ontario became a standalone agency and was no longer affiliated with the AGCO.[7]
Remove ads
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
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads