Ontario enforcement in October 2026: a two-day PointsBet suspension and a C$200,000 fine for theScore Bet
In October 2026 the AGCO fined theScore Bet C$200,000 over two cash-out offers that were not honoured and settled with PointsBet Canada on a two-day suspension of its Ontario site.
Ontario’s gambling regulator took action against two online operators in October 2026. On 6 October the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) issued a C$200,000 monetary penalty to Score Media and Gaming Inc., the operator of theScore Bet, over two cash-out offers that were not honoured. On 20 October the AGCO announced a settlement with PointsBet Canada under which PointsBet’s Ontario gaming site will be suspended for two days.
PointsBet Canada: a two-day suspension and an independent audit
The settlement ends a proceeding that began on 12 February 2026, when the AGCO issued a Notice of Proposed Order to suspend PointsBet Canada’s iGaming registration for five days. The AGCO alleged a systemic failure to detect and report suspicious betting linked to the 2024 bet-rigging scheme involving Jontay Porter, then a Toronto Raptors player. According to the AGCO, when it asked Ontario sportsbooks in early 2024 whether they had offered bets on Porter, PointsBet replied, after significant delay, that it had not. Eighteen months after that response, PointsBet acknowledged that it had.
Under the settlement, PointsBet agreed to a two-day suspension of its Ontario gaming site. It also agreed to an independent audit, using an auditor and an audit methodology approved by the AGCO, to address any findings, and to have that work independently validated. The AGCO says the settlement concludes the regulatory proceeding. PointsBet had contested the proposed order: on 26 February 2026 it announced that it would request a hearing before the Licence Appeal Tribunal, an adjudicative body independent of the AGCO.
The AGCO described its February notice as “a first for Ontario’s regulated igaming industry”. The AGCO had fined PointsBet twice before, in May 2022 over advertising and inducement rules and in November 2023 over responsible gambling standards.
What a suspension means for an account
The AGCO’s settlement announcement does not give dates for the suspension. It also does not say whether players will be able to log in, withdraw money or settle open bets during the two days. The Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming require that players can withdraw their funds “as soon as is practicable”, subject to verification, and that iGaming Ontario takes steps to keep player funds under its oversight and “available to players”. If you hold an account, watch for the operator’s notice once the dates are set.
theScore Bet: C$200,000 over two cash-out offers
The AGCO’s 6 October penalty concerns a C$1,000 parlay placed on 14 March 2025 on NHL, NBA and NCAA basketball games played that day. If every leg had won, the potential payout was more than C$1 million. With one leg left, theScore offered the player a cash-out of about C$380,000. The player accepted at once, but the transaction was rejected during automated verification after the odds changed. Four minutes later the player accepted a second offer of almost C$100,000, which was also not honoured. The bet then lost and the player received no payout.
The Registrar found that neither offer was achievable as presented to the player. The AGCO says C$200,000 is the maximum monetary penalty available. An operator served with such an order can ask the Licence Appeal Tribunal for a hearing within 15 days. When we checked on 27 October, we had found no public report of a hearing request.
What Standard 4.07 says
Standard 4.07 of the Registrar’s Standards states that “information provided to players prior to and during game play shall not mislead players or misrepresent games”. At a minimum, it must not describe outcomes, prizes or features that are not achievable, or present winning as the probable outcome. Standard 4.06 separately requires operators to explain cash-out options before a bet is placed. The finding against theScore was that the offers on screen could not be delivered as shown. The AGCO did not say the player was owed either amount, and it states that its enforcement is separate from any route a player has to resolve an individual dispute.
What it means for players
If an offer shown on screen is not honoured, the AGCO’s guidance is to start with the operator:
- Check the terms and conditions linked to your account or to the bet.
- Follow the site’s formal complaints process and keep the complaint number it gives you.
- Wait for the site’s decision, which can take up to 90 days.
If the dispute is still unresolved after that, or you think a regulated site broke the rules, you can complain to the AGCO with the site’s name, your player ID and the complaint number. Complaints about responsible gambling, possible illegal activity or advertising can go to the AGCO first. The AGCO is clear about its limits: it cannot get your money back or make a site pay you. It can review compliance, which can take three to six months or more in complex cases, and issue warnings, suspensions or monetary penalties. Our licensing and regulation guide explains how the AGCO and iGaming Ontario divide the work.
Before opening an account, check that the site is listed by iGaming Ontario. ConnexOntario offers free, confidential help 24/7 at 1-866-531-2600, and our responsible gambling guide lists help in every province.
Players in Ontario must be 19 or older. Gambling can be addictive. Please play responsibly and within your means.