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The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s Integrated OPP Bureau assists RCMP’s money laundering investigation

July 5, 2022, Toronto, Ont. – The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced it has laid multiple criminal charges against five individuals. Their investigation discovered that over $3 million from the illegal sale of cannabis was laundered, including through casinos in the GTA and Niagara regions. Members of the Ontario Provincial Police’s Investigation and Enforcement Bureau (IEB), attached to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) provided assistance to the RCMP throughout their investigation.

Ontario is one of the few jurisdictions in the world that has a dedicated and fully integrated police bureau attached to the gaming regulator. The Bureau provides investigative expertise, intelligence support and effective information sharing to external law enforcement, the AGCO, as well as other regulatory agencies and industry stakeholders, to ensure integrity and public safety within the AGCO regulated sectors.

The RCMP’s charges are the culmination of a four-year investigation. With the RCMP’s criminal investigation now concluded, the AGCO will complete a regulatory review of the regulated gaming entities to assess the effectiveness of their controls in meeting their obligations under the Gaming Control Act, its Regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Gaming.

“The OPP’s Investigation and Enforcement Bureau attached to the AGCO provided dedicated resources to the RCMP throughout the course of its investigation. We were pleased to lend our resources and gaming expertise to the RCMP in this matter, and will continue to support all stakeholders in our shared goal of effectively detecting and safeguarding against criminal activities in casinos,” said Alison Jevons, Chief Superintendent, Ontario Provincial Police, Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario). The Investigation and Enforcement Bureau is a Division within the AGCO, comprised of uniform and civilian OPP members deployed across the province.

In Ontario, all gaming operators are required to comply with the Gaming Control Act, its Regulations and the Registrar’s Standards for Gaming, which require that casinos have measures in place to identify and prevent money laundering and other unlawful activities.