Booming Games (Malta) Limited has been fined $70,000 by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) for allowing prohibited auto-play functionality on several slot games that were available to Ontario players for an extended period.
Auto-play is a feature that allows players to spin the reels of an online slot machine automatically without manual intervention.
Ontario has banned auto-play to ensure players are actively involved in their betting decisions, rather than allowing bets to happen automatically without player input.
Auto-Play in Play for Several Months
The intentional pause between spins helps to promote player awareness and control, reducing the potential harm related to compulsive gambling that continuous play may cause.
“Ontario’s game design standards are essential player protection measures within the regulated iGaming market – they are not optional technical requirements,” stated Dr. Karin Schnarr, CEO and registrar of AGCO.
AGCO Points Out Control Issues
“Registered suppliers must have effective controls to prevent banned features from reaching Ontario players. If these safeguards are not followed, the AGCO will take regulatory action.”
In its statement, the AGCO mentioned that Booming Games did not properly configure, test, and monitor certain games before and after they were launched in Ontario.
The AGCO informed the company of the issue, and Booming Games disabled the auto-play feature on the affected games.
Supplier Deactivates Prohibited Functionality
Like any licensed iGaming provider and supplier in Ontario, a company that receives a monetary penalty order can request a hearing before the License Appeal Tribunal within 15 days.
Booming Games has been in operation for nearly ten years, providing slot games to the global iGaming industry. In 2023, the company entered regulated markets in Spain, Colombia, the Netherlands, and Denmark.
The company obtained its B2B AGCO license in 2024.
Some of the slot titles offered by Booming Games to operators in Ontario include TNT Bonanza, Cash Pig, Buffalo Hold and Win, and The Wild Wings of Phoenix.