Ontario regulator cracks the whip over UFC betting
AGCO orders halt to all betting over concerns about non-compliance with provincial integrity standards
Ontario’s regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), has ordered all licensed operators to cease offering betting on Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bouts over integrity concerns.
Issuing an update to licensed firms, the AGCO cited potential contraventions of standards to safeguard the market against odds manipulation, match-fixing, and related issues.
AGCO’s standards require operators to ensure available markets are “effectively supervised” by a sports governing body which has final rules and codes of conduct expressly prohibiting betting by insiders native to the sport.
In addition, operators must ensure there are integrity safeguards in place which are sufficient to mitigate the risk of match-fixing, cheat-at-play, and other illicit activity that might influence the outcome of events where betting is offered.
In contravention of these standards, the UFC governing body does not prohibit individuals close to the sport from betting on matches, including athletes’ coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals, or other persons with access to non-public information.
In October, the mixed-martial-arts body issued a letter to industry stakeholders tabling amendments to its athletic code of conduct policy prohibiting fighters and their close associates from wagering on UFC events.
The key target of these changes is the potential usage of ‘inside information’ by fighters or their support staff, something which could potentially compromise the integrity of the sport as a whole and, where found, result in criminal charges for violating athletes.
However, AGCO has wielded the axe on all betting on UFC events while these changes are being carried out.
“In recent weeks, the AGCO has learned of publicized alleged incidents, including possible betting by UFC insiders, as well as reports of suspicious betting patterns in other jurisdictions,” an AGCO spokesperson said.
“Therefore, the AGCO is now taking this step in the public interest. AGCO has indicated to operators that, once the necessary remedial steps have been taken, they may provide information demonstrating that UFC bets or betting products meet the registrar’s standards,” the regulator added.
AGCO registrar and CEO Tom Mungham summarized the position of the regulator on the matter in a statement. “This is not a decision we take lightly, knowing the popularity of UFC events in Ontario’s sportsbooks,” he said.
“However, the risks of insider betting on event and wagering integrity should be highly concerning to all. It certainly is to us. We will continue to work with gaming operators, the OLG, iGaming Ontario, and UFC to ensure that wagering on UFC events meets the AGCO’s standards,” he added.