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Compliance Updates

NGCB Exploring Ways to Speed up Technology Approval Process

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Members of the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has taken the first step toward speeding up the process of approving new games and variations on old ones on Tuesday, following a three-hour workshop with industry leaders. The workshop was scheduled after Gov. Joe Lombardo said in his State of the State address in January that he wanted to prioritize the streamlining of game approvals.

“We left with some action items and some of them may take regulatory changes, so we’d need a reg workshop. Some of them (solutions) may take statutory changes, which I don’t know if we’d be able to deal with them in this (legislative) session. I didn’t hear a lot of (ideas for) statutory changes. The main thing is what can we do sooner rather than later,” Control Board Chairman Kirk Hendrick said after the meeting.

Several manufacturers in the workshop said the approval process gets delayed because regulators are asked to step in and check any game modifications before they can be put back in play, which results in days – and sometimes even months – of delays.

John Acres, founder of Acres Manufacturing, told the board that Nevada’s regulatory methods inhibit innovation and that, adjusted for inflation, manufacturers made less money with new products in 2022 than in 2006 due to approvals taking longer when compared to other states.

“That logjam is caused by the lengthy process required for approving new gambling-related products. The Nevada Gaming Control Board reviews each new product to certify that it complies with technological regulations, a process that takes three to 18 months to complete. Once certified, the product is operated at a single casino as a field trial,” Acres said.

Acres pointed out that before a product can be modified to fix a flaw, the modification itself must be certified by the Control Board. Each modification certification requires four to 12 weeks to accomplish, he highlighted. The sum of all certification times required to complete a single new product field trial can go from six to 24 months.

One of the ideas Hendrick wants to explore is how approvals in other states seem to go faster than in Nevada. The Control Board Chairman said he also wants to have a conversation with Daron Dorsey, executive director of the Las Vegas-based Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers, who testified in the hearing.

“It’s been a long time since anybody thought about this in Nevada. Imagine the speed of technology and what gaming has done just in the last eight years. We want to provide some information and details and give an overview of what it looks like at a macro level,” Dorsey said at the meeting.

However, Hendrick said the board must be wary of making changes that could affect casinos: any regulatory violations could be assessed against operators, not manufacturers.

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Canada

Prime Skill Games Inc. Official Response to AGCO Press Release

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Prime Skill Games Inc. Official Response to AGCO Press Release

 

As CEO of Prime Skill Games Inc., I feel compelled to address recent comments made by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario regarding so-called unapproved gambling machines in convenience stores across the province.

Let me be perfectly clear

Our machines are not gambling devices. They are entirely skill-based, fully compliant with the law, and built on the fundamental idea that players are in control. The outcome of every session is determined solely by the player’s ability, not by random chance.

Prime Skill Games is proud to be the only true skill game operating in Ontario today.

We categorically reject any suggestion that our products fall under the definition of unregulated gambling. Such statements are inaccurate, misleading, and fail to recognize the critical distinction between games of skill and games of chance.

We stand firmly behind the legality of our machines and the integrity of our operations. We will demonstrate this through every available means, whether through legal documentation, expert analysis, or, if necessary, before the courts. We are prepared and unafraid to defend the truth.

To our players, partners, and business community, we want to reassure you that our mission has not changed. We are committed to offering a responsible, transparent, and innovative entertainment experience. We will not be intimidated by broad and baseless accusations, and we will continue to move forward with strength and clarity.

 

Sincerely

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Matt ZamroĹşniak

Chief Executive Officer

Prime Skill Games Inc.

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Canada

AGCO takes action to remove unapproved gambling machines from Ontario convenience stores

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AGCO takes action to remove unapproved gambling machines from Ontario convenience stores

 

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is continuing its efforts to combat unregulated gambling and protect the public. As part of these efforts, the AGCO took steps this week to revoke the lottery seller registrations of a number of retailers in the GTA that were found to be offering unapproved electronic gambling machines under the Prime Slot brand.

The AGCO regulates all gambling in the province of Ontario to ensure gambling products and gaming sites are held to high standards of game integrity, player safety, and the protection of minors and vulnerable individuals.

Over the past decade, unregulated gaming machines have increasingly proliferated across North America. While they largely rely on chance like traditional slot machines, manufacturers have claimed they are games of skill and have installed terminals in convenience stores and other locations where gaming machines would otherwise be prohibited.

The AGCO will continue to take every action within its authority to protect the public against the risks that these unregulated machines pose – particularly in locations easily accessible to children and youth.

A registered lottery seller served with a Notice of Proposed Order to revoke their registration has the right to appeal the AGCO’s action within 15 days to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative tribunal that is part of Tribunals Ontario and independent of the AGCO.

“Unapproved gambling machines have no business being in convenience stores or other locations, particularly those that are available to children and youth. ” – Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar, AGCO

Background:

Under Section 10(b) of the Gaming Control Act, the Registrar shall refuse to register an applicant as a supplier or to renew the registration of an applicant as a supplier if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the applicant will not act as a supplier in accordance with law, or with integrity, honesty, or in the public interest.

Under Section 12 of the Gaming Control Act, the Registrar may propose to suspend or to revoke a registration for any reason that would disentitle the registrant to registration or renewal of registration under section 10 if the registrant were an applicant.

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Canada

AGCO Updates Responsible Gambling Training Standards for Gaming and Lottery

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As of July 11, 2025, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) no longer requires Registrar approval for responsible gambling (RG) training programs for casino and lottery employees. This change applies to both the Gaming and Lottery Standards and supports a more flexible, outcomes-based approach.

What’s changing

• Standard 2.5 has been updated to remove the need for Registrar approval of RG training.

• Training must still be mandatory, regularly updated, and based on best practices.

• Employees must understand responsible gambling, their role in player protection, and how to support those showing signs of gambling harm.

What this change means for operators and lottery retailers

• Casino and lottery operators now have more flexibility to design and update RG training.

• Existing PlaySmart training remains valid.

Why this change matters

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This change reduces red tape, encourages innovation, and maintains Ontario’s high standards for player protection. This also aligns with AGCO’s outcomes-based regulatory approach and brings greater consistency across gaming sectors, including iGaming.

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