AGCO Updates iGaming Standards Ahead of Centralized Self-Exclusion Launch
Ontario regulator AGCO has revised its internet gaming standards to support iGaming Ontario’s Centralized Self-Exclusion program, due to launch in 2026.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has amended the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming to prepare for a province-wide Centralized Self-Exclusion (CSE) registry that will allow players to voluntarily block access to all regulated iGaming sites through a single enrolment. The regulator said the updated standards will take effect when the CSE platform goes live next year, with exact timing to be confirmed closer to launch.
Key additions include a new CSE-specific standard and changes to existing provisions such as Standard 2.14.1, which now requires operators to participate in the CSE. Under the new rules, operators must, within 24 hours of a person being added to the Centralized Self-Exclusion Registry, cancel and refund outstanding wagers to the individual’s player wallet. An exception applies if the person is added less than 24 hours before an event on which the wager outcome is determined.
Operators are also required to build resilience into their systems so they can continue to check the CSE registry and prevent access by centrally self-excluded individuals. During system disruptions that affect registry checks, operators must prevent new account registrations. Existing account holders may be permitted to log in only if the operator can verify that the last successful registry check confirmed the user was not centrally self-excluded at that time.
Definitions formalized in the revised standards include "Centralized Self-Exclusion Program", administered by iGaming Ontario, the "Centrally Self-Excluded Person", denoting anyone listed on the Centralized Self-Exclusion Registry, and the "Centralized Self-Exclusion Registry" itself, which will be maintained by iGaming Ontario.
The AGCO has also signalled it will re-evaluate the need for each operator to maintain its own voluntary self-exclusion program – currently required under Standard 2.14 – no more than 12 months after the CSE’s launch. For now, operators must continue to accept new self-exclusion registrations and honour existing site-level agreements alongside participation in the CSE.
Related: AGCO Launches Youth Compliance Monitor Program to Strengthen Underage-Protection Checks
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The changes extend beyond account controls. Advertising and marketing rules were tightened to prohibit targeting high-risk individuals, underage users, and self-excluded players, including those on the centralized registry. The revisions also adjust prize eligibility rules to exclude individuals who are ineligible to play, while carving out specific language accommodating self-excluded persons in limited contexts.
AGCO framed the move as harm-reduction: creating a single opt-out mechanism should lower barriers to self-exclusion and harmonize safeguards across Ontario’s regulated market. "Our priority is to reduce gambling-related harm while preserving access to a regulated, safer online gaming environment", said an AGCO spokesperson. "Centralizing self-exclusion streamlines protections for vulnerable players and creates a uniform baseline for operators across the province."
Harm-minimization advocates welcomed the effort but cautioned on implementation details. "A centralized registry can be an important tool if it is reliable, timely and designed with privacy protections in mind", said Dr. David Hodgins, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Calgary and a researcher in gambling harms. "Success will depend on robust integration between iGaming Ontario and operators, clear remediation steps for system failures, and ongoing monitoring to ensure the registry actually reduces access for those who sign up."
Operators now face technical and operational work to meet the 24-hour refund requirement, strengthen registry-checking capabilities, and revise customer-facing processes to manage disruptions. Trade groups and platform providers are expected to seek further technical guidance from iGaming Ontario and AGCO ahead of the 2026 rollout.
AGCO has committed to publishing the updated standards when the CSE launches next year and to provide a formal review of site-level self-exclusion requirements within 12 months of go-live. iGaming Ontario will administer and maintain the registry once operational, with the intent of simplifying enrolment for consumers and creating consistent protections across the regulated market.
Regulators, operators and public-health stakeholders will be watching implementation closely as the province moves toward a unified self-exclusion framework intended to make it easier for people to opt out and safer to participate in regulated online gaming.
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