The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is seeking an amendment to the Gaming Control Act, 1992 (GCA) so that ID checks for its self-serve lottery terminals can be mandated.

1,400 of these terminals are set to be piloted in select retail locations across the province between the fall of 2023 and spring of 2024 after the OLG struck a deal with IGT Global Solutions Corporation – a subsidiary of IGT that will provide these machines – last September.

The idea is that deploying these self-serve terminals (SSTs) will reduce traffic in high-volume areas, such as gas stations where there are often lengthy queues as residents check their lottery tickets, and drive sales to ‘maximise revenue for provincial priorities for the benefit of the people of Ontario’.

Of course, the SSTs are designed only for those who are legally allowed to play the lottery, and therefore the OLG and the relevant authorities must be satisfied that minors cannot access the machines.

Consequently, the OLG has devised an identity verification method that uses swiping or scanning technology, meaning retailers wouldn’t have to manually check each user’s passport, driving license, etc.

Tony Bitonti, a spokesperson for OLG, told CTV News Toronto last week that “no personal information or personal data will be retained by our systems”.

The regulatory change to the GCA was posted publicly on Apr. 14, with the Ministry of the Attorney General proposing an amendment to O. Reg 78/12 under the GCA to allow SSTs to verify identification.

Members of the public may provide comments until Apr. 29, at which point the amendment will return to the government for further consideration.

If successful, the OLG will be responsible for implementing the SSTs and training retailers, with part of that training including “controls for mitigating access by minors.”