What Happened

Ontario’s iGaming regulatory framework, established through AGCO’s Registrar’s Standards, imposes strict age verification requirements on all registered operators. Players must be 19 years of age or older to register and participate. Operators are required to verify age before allowing any real-money wagering activity.

Age verification in online contexts has evolved significantly compared to the simple checkbox systems of earlier digital gaming years. Ontario’s standards require identity verification processes that go beyond self-declaration.

Why It Matters

Preventing underage gambling is a fundamental consumer protection and public health obligation. Young people are disproportionately represented in populations showing problem gambling indicators in research literature. Early exposure to gambling, including digital and online gambling, is associated with elevated risk. Robust age verification is therefore not merely a compliance formality — it is a meaningful harm prevention mechanism.

AGCO’s requirements: Registered operators must implement age and identity verification at account creation. Acceptable methods include document verification (government-issued ID) and third-party identity verification services that cross-reference credit and identity databases. Operators may not allow real-money play before verification is completed.

Marketing to minors: AGCO standards separately prohibit advertising that is directed at or likely to appeal primarily to minors. This includes prohibitions on using youth-oriented content, characters, or themes in gambling advertising.

The challenge of digital environments: Age verification in online contexts faces persistent challenges. Third-party identity verification services have documented failure rates; minors may use parents’ identity documents; verification can be bypassed through various means. The effectiveness of any verification system depends on how rigorously it is implemented and tested.

AGCO compliance review: The AGCO’s compliance function includes review of age verification processes. How frequently these are specifically audited, and what findings have emerged, are not fully detailed in public enforcement records.

What’s Next

The evidence on effectiveness of online age verification systems continues to accumulate internationally. The UK Gambling Commission, for example, has published research on age verification outcomes that may inform Ontario’s approach. Whether AGCO will update its standards in light of emerging evidence is an open question. Advocacy organizations focused on children’s welfare have called for stronger verification requirements and more transparent reporting on compliance outcomes.

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