What is the difference between an operator being registered with the AGCO and a game supplier being approved to provide games in Ontario?

Two registrations, one framework — and they cover very different things

Ontario's regulated online gambling market involves two distinct categories of AGCO registration: one for operators — the companies running the casino sites you actually play on — and one for gaming-related suppliers (GRS), which include game studios and platform providers. Both require AGCO registration, but the scope, obligations, and what they mean for you as a player are quite different.

What operator registration actually means

Registration as an Internet Gaming Operator is required for entities that operate an internet gaming site within Ontario. This is the licence that puts a brand — say, a casino you'd find on the iGaming Ontario directory — on the right side of the law. Being a fully registered and authorized operator means the organization has successfully received a registration from the AGCO and, with the exception of OLG.ca, has executed an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario.

That operating agreement is significant: it's a commercial contract with iGO, the province's market management body. To complete these steps, organizations will have met rigorous standards of game integrity, fairness, player protections, and social responsibility. Their sites will have controls preventing underage access and measures to enable more responsible gambling, and they have entered legal agreements ensuring compliance with applicable laws, including anti-money laundering.

All operators are required to submit an independently audited document setting out the processes and controls they have in place to meet all of the outcomes and requirements in the Registrar's Standards for igaming — commonly referred to as a Control Activity Matrix (CAM). Operator registration is, in short, about ongoing accountability for the entire gaming site as a whole.

What supplier (game studio) registration covers

A game supplier — think of the studios whose slots and table games appear inside those casino sites — falls under the Gaming-Related Supplier category. To supply products or services to igaming operators in Ontario, a company needs to be registered with the AGCO. There are two types of gaming-related supplier registrations: manufacturers, who make, supply, install, test, maintain, or fix gaming equipment, and may offer consulting services; and "other" suppliers.

The key extra step for game suppliers is product-level certification. Before submitting an application to the AGCO, a supplier must review the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming to see if their products comply, and get a registered independent testing lab (ITL) to certify the product they'll be supplying. Testing needs to cover all games, random number generators, and pieces of igaming systems that accept, process, determine the outcome of, display, and log details about player bets.

There's also a practical ceiling on what a registered supplier can offer: if a supplier wants to offer more than what they stated on their application, they must tell the Registrar and be approved. So supplier registration is not a blanket green light for all titles — each expansion of scope requires sign-off.

There is no special designation or registration category for "internet gaming-only" Gaming-Related Suppliers. Registration as a Gaming-Related Supplier allows a company to provide gaming-related goods and services to the whole of the regulated gaming sector, subject to any terms and conditions imposed by the Registrar.

Why this matters when you're playing in Ottawa

For Ottawa players, the practical takeaway is layered protection. The operator is accountable for the entire site experience — responsible gambling tools, account security, player funds, and complaint handling. Operators are expected to ensure that the standards related to the operation of their player platform are met, regardless of which entity is carrying out the related activities. The game supplier, meanwhile, has had its RNG and game math independently certified before a single spin reaches you. Operators and gaming-related suppliers cannot enter into agreements with any unregistered person providing goods or services if, to provide those goods and services in iGaming Ontario's regulated scheme, registration under the Gaming Control Act would be required. That chain of registration is what keeps unvetted content off regulated sites.

The fastest way to confirm a site is fully legitimate is to check the iGaming Ontario operator directory — a directory of all fully registered and authorized operators and their igaming sites is available via the iGaming Ontario website. Regulated sites also display both the iGaming Ontario logo and the BetGuard logo as visible trust signals. If you ever need support, ConnexOntario (1-866-531-2600) is available — and gambling on any of these platforms is for adults 19 and older.