AGCO issues $80K penalty against Woodbine gambling facility
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The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario issued an $80,000 penalty against Casino Woodbine — now called Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto — arising from allegations of a “cheat-at-play and dealer collusion scheme” at the Rexdale betting facility.
In a news release issued Wednesday by the AGCO, it said in April the Ontario Provincial Police, “embedded within the AGCO, laid charges against five individuals. The charges follow an investigation into allegations that an electronic craps dealer at Woodbine Casino was in collusion with these patrons.”
The AGCO said its regulatory compliance branch conducted an in-depth compliance review to assess the casino’s adherence to the Gaming Control Act and found that the casino “failed to detect or take appropriate action on available information to prevent the cheat-at-play and dealer collusion scheme.”
The review noted financial reports and emails showing “atypical losses” from the electronic craps game over a six-month span; table games supervisors often being absent from the craps table when “suspicious gambling activities occurred,” and video surveillance showing the electronic craps game “failed to follow required rules and procedures and lacked effective supervision.”
The ACGO said that, although the casino issued a dealer seven violations for “inappropriately pushing dice to patrons before closing bets,” the dealer was allowed to continue dealing electronic craps during that time.
“We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of security, integrity, and fairness in all aspects of our operations,” said a statement Wednesday from casino operator Great Canadian Entertainment.
“We take any breach of trust within our organization seriously and fully supported the investigation undertaken by the AGCO and the OPP,” added the statement. “As part of our remediation, the game in question was permanently removed from the casino floor in November 2022, and the employee in question was terminated.”
The AGCO said it would continue monitoring the casino.
In April, the OPP said Arthur Segovia, 52, of Etobicoke, was charged with criminal breach of trust, cheat at play, theft over $5,000 and fraud over $5,000.
Khalil Evans, 29, Donovan Smyth-Todd, 30, and Daniel Hatton, 25 — all of Toronto — and Andrew Gayle-Bourne, 33, of Oakville, were all charged with cheat at play, theft over $5,000 and fraud over $5,000.
