What Ontario's advertising standards change for readers of review sites
AGCO's Registrar's Standards restrict public advertising of bonuses in Ontario: Standard 2.05 allows them only on the operator's own site and in direct marketing after consent given there. On 2025-03-26 AGCO penalized BetMGM Canada 110,000 CAD over affiliate inducements. This site therefore publishes no bonus offers or promo codes for Ontario.
Checked by the editorial team on
- 3 min read
- 6 sections
- 2 tables
- 5 FAQ
What the standards say
| Standard | Subject | Effect for readers |
|---|---|---|
| 2.05 | Inducements, bonuses and credits | Public advertising of bonuses restricted; allowed on the operator's site and in direct marketing after active consent there |
| 1.21 | Commission-based third parties | Operators ensure affiliates do not promote unregistered sites that take bets from Ontario |
| 1.19 | Operator responsibility for third parties | The operator answers for what its marketing partners do |
| 2.03 | Audience and athletes | No advertising aimed at minors or at self-excluded people; athletes barred in operator advertising since 2024-02-28 |
Standard numbers and wording come from our reference notes. The standards were updated on 2026-05-14 according to our notes; read the current text on agco.ca before relying on a clause.
Takeaway: a bonus advertised on a third-party site is the case the Ontario rules are written to stop.
The BetMGM Canada decision
This is the only place on the site where the decision is recorded; other pages link here.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Penalty on the operator | 110,000 CAD |
| Affiliate 1 | 377 registrations; 127,180 CAD in commissions |
| Affiliate 2 | 94 registrations; about 34,000 CAD; not reconfirmed |
The penalty fell on the operator, not on the affiliates. Direct liability of an affiliate with no operator contract in Ontario is not confirmed. The notice is on the AGCO site.
What this means when you read a review site
- A bonus on a review page for Ontario deserves a second look: check who runs the page and what it earns.
- Consent to marketing given on a third-party site does not count as consent given on the operator's site, according to AGCO's 2022 release.
- This site shows registration status and dates instead of offers. See how review sites make money.
Alberta: press reports describe a similar limit, but we could not confirm it from an AGLC document as of 2026-11-13. AiGC's FAQ says a promotion cannot be called "free" if the player risks own money.
How we are paid is on the advertising disclosure.
Gambling involves risk. Play responsibly.
How we checked
- We took the standards and the decision from AGCO pages as recorded in our notes, and mark every figure for recheck.
- We left out the question of whether Standard 1.21 binds a site with no contract; that is for a lawyer.
- Method: methodology.
Sources
What changed
- : first version.
FAQ
What did AGCO decide about BetMGM Canada?
On 2025-03-26 AGCO penalized BetMGM Canada 110,000 CAD for offering cash inducements to new customers through affiliates. The penalty went to the operator.
Can an Ontario site advertise a sportsbook bonus?
Public advertising of bonuses is restricted under Standard 2.05; the exceptions are the operator's own site and direct marketing after consent given on that site.
Do the standards apply to a review site with no operator contract?
Standard 1.21 is addressed to the operator. Whether it reaches a site with no contract is a question for a lawyer, and we state no answer. See also are review sites paid to rank.
Why does this site show no bonuses?
Because bonus advertising is restricted in Ontario and this site has not collected offers. Our tables carry registration status, dates and sources.
Where is the original notice?
On the AGCO site, in the news release on the BetMGM Canada penalties. We link it under sources.