Fallsview Casino fined for giving chips to patron with grocery bag full of money in Niagara Falls, Ontario

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has fined the operators of the Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls for reportedly handing casino chips to a patron with a grocery bag full of cash. 

On Jan. 24, the AGCO said it fined MGE Niagara Entertainment Inc. $70,000 for “failing to meet requirements in place to minimize the risk of unlawful activity, including money laundering, at the gaming site.” 

In a news release, the AGCO said that in April 2023, the individual in question appeared at the Salon Privé at the casino with $80,000 in strapped $100 bills from a reusable grocery bag. 

Surveillance showed that once the money was counted and confirmed, the patron left the table with casino chips without playing. 

The AGCO said that despite having previously identified the player as ‘high risk,’ the casino failed to notify the commission and on-site police of the transaction despite being required to do so. 

The commission also said the casino failed to ascertain and corroborate the patron’s source of funds, as is required by anti-money laundering rules in the Registrar’s Standards for Gaming.

“The AGCO is committed to protecting the public interest and public safety and remains vigilant in its efforts to guard against potential money laundering at Ontario’s gaming sites,” Dr. Karin Schnarr, CEO and registrar of AGCO, said in a statement. 

“Casino operators are important front-line partners in this effort and the AGCO holds all operators to rigorous standards when it comes to the prevention of unlawful activity.”

In a news release, the AGCO said casino operators are required to report suspicious behaviours and to validate a patron’s source of funds when presented with significant amounts of bulk cash.

The casino has the right to appeal the penalty.