How do online casinos prevent underage gambling from occurring on their platforms?

Picture a 17-year-old in Toronto trying to sign up for a regulated online casino. Before they can place a single bet, they hit a mandatory identity verification wall — one they cannot get past without real documentation proving they're 19 or older. That wall isn't optional; it's baked into Ontario law.

Age verification at the account gate

The intent of the AGCO's Registrar's Standards is to ensure that an individual's age is verified before they are able to access areas of a website where they are able to play lottery and casino games. In practical terms, this means when you sign up for a player account, you're asked to provide personal information that goes through a verification process to confirm your identity — and that information must be verified before your account can be created. Operators typically cross-reference government-issued ID details against third-party identity databases; if the check fails, the account stays locked.

You must be 19 years of age or older to participate in all internet gaming products conducted and managed by iGaming Ontario. That's a hard floor, not a soft guideline — only eligible individuals are permitted access to a gaming site, and a policy on eligibility must be established, implemented, and made public.

Ongoing monitoring and re-verification

Getting through sign-up isn't the end of it. If the list of prohibited and excluded individuals changes, all registered player information must be re-verified to ensure that all registered players are still eligible to play — and if they are not eligible, they are prohibited from gaming. Operators are also required to run geo-location checks to confirm a player is physically inside Ontario during a session, which adds a further layer of account integrity.

Advertising rules that close the back door

Preventing underage gambling isn't just about the signup screen — it also means not recruiting young people in the first place. Advertising and marketing materials must not be based on themes or language intended to appeal primarily to minors, appear on outdoor displays directly adjacent to schools, contain cartoon figures or celebrity endorsers whose primary appeal is to minors, use individuals who are or appear to be minors to promote gambling, or appear in media directed primarily to minors. The AGCO tightened these rules further in 2024, modifying Standard 2.03 to restrict the use of individuals who would likely be expected to appeal to minors.

How to tell you're on a legitimate regulated site

Being a fully registered and authorized operator in Ontario's igaming market means the organization has successfully received registration by the AGCO and executed an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario — and to complete those steps, they must have met rigorous standards of game integrity, fairness, player protections, and social responsibility, with controls preventing underage access already in place. The clearest signal for players: look for the iGaming Ontario logo and the BetGuard logo on the site. If you see these logos, you know that the website operations are managed by iGaming Ontario and regulated by the AGCO, giving you the confidence that you're playing on a secure website that offers a safer and more socially responsible experience.

If you ever have concerns about your own play — or someone else's — ConnexOntario (1-866-531-2600) offers free, confidential support around the clock. Regulated sites also have measures to enable more responsible gambling built in, including deposit limits and self-exclusion tools. Offshore and unregistered sites carry none of these protections, which is exactly why sticking to operators on the official iGaming Ontario registry matters.