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Alberta market status · August 13, 2026
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Regulated Canada · August 2026
Product and version certification

How Online Casino Games Are Tested

Certification covers submitted games, random number generators and critical wagering components. It does not guarantee a win, a short-session return or the quality of every casino service.

Updated
The useful question
What product and version was certified?

A laboratory name without product, version, scope and market does not establish a certificate for a specific game.

Certification chain

From Game Build to Regulated Deployment

The supplier, testing facility and operator have different responsibilities.

  1. 01

    Product build

    A specific game, RNG or critical component and version is prepared.

  2. 02

    Controlled testing

    A registered testing facility evaluates the submitted technology against applicable standards.

  3. 03

    Certification

    The result identifies the product, version, scope and issuing testing facility.

  4. 04

    Deployment control

    Certification normally comes first. Ontario temporary approval and Alberta live emergency fixes are separate, conditional mechanisms.

  5. 05

    Change control

    A material change or issue can invalidate the earlier certification and trigger recertification.

Testing layers

What Certification Establishes, and What It Does Not

Each control answers a narrower question than a casino-level safety rating.

Game math

Establishes

The submitted rules, paytable, probabilities and theoretical return behave as designed for the certified configuration.

Does not establish

A site-wide average RTP, a guaranteed return or the result of a short session.

Randomness

Establishes

The submitted random number generator and outcome process meet the applicable statistical, independence and unpredictability controls.

Does not establish

That a recent win or loss changes the probability of the next independent outcome.

Critical components

Establishes

The certified technology that accepts, processes, determines, displays or logs wagers meets the applicable controls.

Does not establish

That every part of the casino website, customer service or payment operation shares one certificate.

Version control

Establishes

Certification identifies the submitted product and version, with recertification when material changes invalidate the earlier result.

Does not establish

That a certificate for an older build automatically covers every later modification.

Provincial rules

Ontario ITL and Alberta ATF Requirements

Certification before deployment is the default in both markets. Their narrow pre-certification mechanisms apply at different stages and cannot be treated as a general waiver.

Ontario

Default: before deployment

AGCO-registered Independent Testing Laboratory (ITL)

Applicable Registrar's Standards for the submitted technology and version.

Covered technology

  • Games
  • Random number generators
  • Components that accept, process or determine wagers and outcomes
  • Components that display or log wager details
  • Slots, table games, sport and event betting, poker and other card games
Recertification

Recertification is required when a modification makes the previous certification invalid, including changes affecting responsible gambling, integrity, fairness or security.

Case-by-case temporary approval
  • Certain low-risk circumstances
  • Critical gaming systems needed to facilitate operations at launch
  • An individual request considered by the Registrar
Decision control: The Registrar must consider and grant the temporary approval for the individual request before deployment under this mechanism.
Submission deadline: Unknown
After deployment: A fixed certification or expiry deadline is unknown. Any conditions remain specific to the individual temporary approval.

This is not an automatic waiver or a general path for deploying uncertified games or critical technology.

Technology used to determine or record outcomes falls within the critical-system controls; certification is not a rating of dealer conduct or studio service.

Alberta

Default: before deployment

AGLC-registered Accredited Testing Facility (ATF)

Only the standards relevant to the submitted games, random number generators, remote gaming servers or betting systems.

Covered technology

  • Games
  • Random number generators
  • Remote gaming servers and critical wagering components
  • Slots, table games, sport and event betting, poker and other card games
  • Electronic elements of physical live-dealer wheels, dice tables and card shufflers
Recertification

Recertification is required when a modification or newly discovered issue invalidates the previous certification by affecting integrity, fairness, security or compliance.

Live regulatory emergency fix
  • A modification to previously certified technology
  • A regulatory concern affecting a live issue
  • Immediate corrective action is required
Decision control: The supplier must classify the change as a Regulatory Fix (Emergency Fix). Ordinary regulatory modifications remain subject to certification before deployment.
Submission deadline: 5 business days
After deployment: The fixed technology must be submitted to an AGLC-registered ATF for Alberta certification within five business days of release.

This does not cover an uncertified new game, an initial product launch or a non-emergency regulatory modification.

Electronic outcome equipment can require certification. The physical dealer, studio operation and table service are separate controls.

Certification is not a promise about your next result

Theoretical return describes a long-run mathematical configuration. Random outcomes still vary, and an operator may select among approved RTP configurations supplied for a game. Check the value shown inside the game you are actually playing.

RTP disclosure guide
Evidence boundaries

Five Claims This Page Does Not Make

Unknown certificate detail stays unknown at casino-profile level.

A casino profile does not receive a testing badge merely because it lists a game supplier or laboratory name.
A regulated deployment requirement is not the same as a public per-game certificate directory.
Certification covers the submitted technology and applicable standards, not every operational or player-service function.
Theoretical return describes long-run game math and does not predict an individual session.
Ontario certification facts are not reused as proof about a specific Alberta product version.
A conditional pre-certification mechanism does not prove that a specific product qualified for it or received the required approval.
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FAQ

Casino Game Testing Questions

Direct answers about certification, RNGs, RTP and product versions.