Ontario's gambling regulator orders end to UFC bets over non-compliance concerns
The agency that regulates betting in Ontario says casinos, as well as lottery and igaming operators, must stop accepting wagers on future Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events due to concerns over what it calls “non-compliance” with its betting integrity requirements.
In a news release issued Thursday, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) said that, in recent weeks, they had learned of “publicized alleged incidents, including possible betting by UFC insiders, as well as reports of suspicious betting patterns in other jurisdictions.”
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The AGCO did not specify which alleged incidents they were referring to.
According to the AGCO, and contrary to their own registrar’s standards, the UFC does not prohibit insiders from betting on fights, which they said could include a fighter’s coaches, managers, or other individuals who may have access to information not available to the 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 in the news release.
“However, the risks of insider betting on event and wagering integrity should be highly concerning to all. It certainly is to us.”
The AGCO said it will continue to work with the UFC, as well as the OLG and iGaming Ontario, to ensure that future events meet their standards.
The next big UFC event, UFC 282, takes place on Dec. 10.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.