TORONTO, Dec. 8, 2025 – The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has announced new initiatives designed to enhance the protection of young people and curb underage access to alcohol and cannabis.

Starting this month, the AGCO’s compliance activities will incorporate a new position known as a Youth Compliance Monitor. These monitors will collaborate with AGCO Inspectors to detect retailers that allow underage individuals to buy age-restricted items. Youth Compliance Monitors are young people between 16 and 18 years old who are appointed by the AGCO Registrar with parental or guardian consent.

Establishments that neglect to request ID or that sell restricted products to minors will face violations under the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019 (LLCA) or the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018 (CLA). The AGCO’s enforcement framework allows for financial penalties reaching $100,000 for selling to minors. Beyond fines, licensees may also be subject to other measures, such as licence suspension or revocation for severe or repeated infractions.

The LLCA and CLA grant the AGCO the power to employ minors to monitor adherence to the Acts, associated regulations, and the Registrar’s Standards. Introducing Youth Compliance Monitors offers the AGCO a practical method to verify that retailers are implementing the required safeguards to stop alcohol and cannabis sales to youth.

This tactic employs a youth protection model acknowledged as an industry best practice in other regulated fields, where young monitors are instrumental in enforcing age limits for products like tobacco. By adopting this strategy, the AGCO maintains its commitment to regulating with honesty, integrity, and for the benefit of the public.

Quote

“Safeguarding youth from the dangers of alcohol and cannabis is not only a regulatory obligation–it is a deep ethical commitment. This strengthened initiative delivers an unequivocal message that every retailer must make the health and safety of young people a priority, and it reaffirms the AGCO’s dedication to ensuring accountability for those who break the rules.”

– Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar, AGCO

Additional information

As per the CLA, cannabis retailers are required to ask for identification from anyone who looks under 25 and must confirm the individual is at least 19 before allowing entry or making a sale. In a similar manner, liquor licensees operating under the LLCA must check the ID of any person who appears to be under 19 before a sale or service. The expanded Mystery Shop Program will aid in verifying compliance within these industries, thereby reducing public safety risks and shielding minors. The LLCA and CLA authorize the AGCO Registrar to designate youth for regulatory compliance monitoring:

• : Allows for the appointment of people who are 16 to 18 years old to monitor compliance.
• : Allows for the appointment of individuals who are 18 years old for compliance monitoring.

About the AGCO

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is a provincial regulatory body in Ontario that reports to the (MAG). It is established as a corporation under the .

SOURCE Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario