The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has warned operators in the province that wagers on Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events are now strictly forbidden.
All registered casino, lottery and igaming operators that offer sport and event betting products in Ontario must now stop offering and accepting wagers “due to concerns about non-compliance with AGCO’s betting integrity requirements”.
The AGCO asserts that this decision has been made in the public interest after alleged incidents, including possible betting by UFC insiders, as well as reports of suspicious betting patterns in other jurisdictions.
Tom Mungham, Registrar and CEO, AGCO, commented: “The Standards exist to protect the betting public and to provide the necessary safeguards against odds manipulation, match-fixing and other integrity issues.
“This is not a decision we take lightly, knowing the popularity of UFC events in Ontario’s sports books. However, the risks of insider betting on events 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.”
However, the AGCO has told 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”.