Where and How to Report Illegal Gambling in Ontario? Step by Step

Updated: Thurs. Aug 07, 2025 3 Minute Read

Illegal gambling does happen and it's something every online casino player should be aware of. The good news is that it's quite easy to report illegal gambling in Ontario and the guidelines are simply to follow as well. Reports are made to the AGCO and Casinos who are found to be breaking the rules can be issued with penalties, warnings, suspensions or monetary fines.

how to report illegal gambling in ontario — Learn how to report illegal gambling activity in Ontario

How To Report An iGaming Site To The AGCO

When reporting an iGaming site you'll need a couple of things to finalise the complaint. The AGCO will require the name of the specific casino to ensure they are regulated, your personal ID for the website, and a complaint reference number from the online casino (if given). It is always important to try to resolve complaints using the casino's customer support and dispute teams before escalating it to the AGCO.

Making A Complaint - Step By Step

Visit the AGCO Website. At the bottom of the Internet Gaming Complaints Page^[1] you'll find a section called, "Make a Complaint".
Select The Issue. You have two options to choose from. You will either have a dispute with a specific iGaming site, or a general complaint about iGaming and its regulation in Ontario. Make your selection. A new page will open giving you the option to select Yes or No as to whether the operator is regulated.
The next pages require you to state whether you have made a formal complaint with the iGaming site. If the answer is yes, you'll click the Yes button.
On the next page you are given a list of items to consider before filing a formal complaint. These include giving the operator enough time to respond to you and checking your email spam folder to ensure a response wasn't sent here. To submit a complaint, click on the "Submit Your Complaint" button.
A new page will load with the complaint submission form. You will be required to fill out all the information. There is an option to submit anonymously.
Fill in your name, phone number, email, type of complaint, made on behalf of, incident date, incident time, if your complaint is about the gaming site or operator, description of the complaint.
Upload supporting documentation.
Read the declaration.
Complete the security check (reCAPTCHA)
Submit Complaint.

Players can expect to wait up to two days for a response from the AGCO after reporting an issue. This time is required so they can decide if they are equipped to help with your problem. During these two days you may be contacted by the AGCO for any additional information they may require to process your complaint. You may be asked for more information about the issue, asked to bring your complaint to the casino directly if you have not already done so, or another regulatory body.

The AGCO could also escalate the complaint for an initial compliance review. In this case it can take up to 5 weeks to complete. If it's a complex compliance review, it can take between 3 and 6 months.

Complaints are taken very serious and AGCO fines have been issued, and in large amounts, to operators who have breached regulation rules since the iGaming market opened in the province.

Reason To Make A Complaint - What The AGCO Can Help With

Before reporting any casino or sports betting site you need to make sure that it is regulated by the AGCO and holds an iGaming Ontario license. It is also important to note that iGaming Ontario cannot directly award compensation or refund your wagers. Criminal matters or those of a regulatory nature will be referred to the appropriate authorities.

Here are some reasons you should make a complaint to the AGCO:

You notice a regulated casino is breaking the rules.
You have an issue regarding your own personal account and the customer service features have not solved it within 90 days.
You have a complaint about responsible gambling
You suspect illegal activity
The operators advertising is not in line with AGCO regulations

Users should note that the AGCO may not be able to dispute your issue with a casino although reporting illegal gambling helps keep Ontario's online gaming sites within regulation. Offshore operators that don't have an iGaming Ontario license are a key part of illegal gambing in Ontario. While there are plenty of offshore sites accepting Canadian players, these unlicensed Ontario casinos comes with risks and you should be aware of what these are before you create an account.