Ontario’s gambling regulator orders end to UFC bets over non-compliance concerns

The company that regulates betting in Ontario says casinos, in addition to lottery and igaming operators, should cease accepting wagers on future Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) occasions because of considerations over what it calls “non-compliance” with its betting integrity necessities.

In a news launch issued Thursday, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) stated that, in latest weeks, that they had discovered of “publicized alleged incidents, including possible betting by UFC insiders, as well as reports of suspicious betting patterns in other jurisdictions.”

The AGCO didn’t specify which alleged incidents they have been referring to. 

According to the AGCO, and opposite to their very own registrar’s requirements, the UFC doesn’t prohibit insiders from betting on fights, which they stated might embrace a fighter’s coaches, managers, or different people who might have entry to data not out there to the general public.

“This is not a decision we take lightly, knowing the popularity of UFC events in Ontario’s sports books,” AGCO Registrar and CEO Tom Mungham was quoted as saying within the news launch.

“However, the risks of insider betting on event and wagering integrity should be highly concerning to all. It certainly is to us.”

The AGCO stated it is going to proceed to work with the UFC, in addition to the OLG and that iGaming Ontario, to make sure that future occasions meet their requirements.

The subsequent huge UFC occasion, UFC 282, takes place on Dec. 10.