Betty Gaming Faces $120K Penalty After Underage Players Access Site

TORONTO: Ontario’s gambling regulator has ordered Betty Gaming Ltd. to pay $120,000 over failures in its age-verification controls. Nine underage users were able to deposit funds and gamble, while another 14 created accounts without depositing.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario said the failures affected Betty.ca and breached standards requiring operators to prevent underage access and verify player eligibility before an account is created. Betty Gaming may appeal the monetary penalties to the Licence Appeal Tribunal within 15 days.

Related: AGCO Fines Two Gaming Suppliers over Unregulated Websites

Control Failure Allowed 23 Underage Accounts

The issue came to the regulator’s attention after Betty Gaming notified the AGCO in November 2025 that it had identified a vulnerability in the site’s age-restriction and eligibility controls. According to the AGCO’s enforcement announcement, nine people under the age of 19 were able to create accounts, deposit money and gamble.

A further 14 underage individuals created accounts but did not fund them. The regulator said the defect breached requirements that operators prevent minors from creating accounts, logging in or gambling online and ensure player information is complete, accurate and validated before registration is completed.

Ontario generally requires players to be at least 19 years old to participate in regulated online gambling. The exception is lottery tickets, which may be purchased online by people aged 18 or older.

AGCO Says Operators Must Test Eligibility Systems

AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr said age controls are a basic requirement of Ontario’s regulated market. “Young people must not be able to create accounts, deposit money, or gamble online”, she said.

Schnarr added that registered operators are responsible for ensuring their systems work before being made available to customers. The regulator said the Betty.ca failures were contrary to section 3.01, requirement 1(a), and section 3.04 of the Registrar’s Standards for Gaming.

The first standard prohibits operators from allowing underage individuals to create accounts, log in or gamble online. The second requires operators to collect relevant registration information and demonstrate that it has been validated before a player account is created.

The case adds to the compliance obligations placed on Ontario’s regulated online gambling operators, where responsibility for player protection rests with individual companies as well as the regulator. The AGCO uses monetary penalties and other enforcement tools when it determines that registered operators have failed to meet those standards.

Betty Gaming Can Appeal Penalties

The $120,000 amount is an administrative monetary penalty ordered by the AGCO, not a criminal fine. Betty Gaming has the right to appeal the regulator’s action to Ontario’s Licence Appeal Tribunal, an independent adjudicative body within Tribunals Ontario.

If an appeal is filed, the tribunal can review the Registrar’s decision and the circumstances behind the penalty. The AGCO announcement did not state whether Betty Gaming intends to challenge the order.

The immediate regulatory focus remains on whether the operator’s corrected age-verification controls now prevent underage registration and gambling. The case also reinforces that Ontario operators must validate eligibility before an account becomes active rather than relying only on an age declaration or 19+ label.

RELATED TOPICS: Regulation