The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has ordered all operators to halt taking bets on the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) in Ontario due to concerns with “integrity safeguards”.
According to a statement from the AGCO, all UFC events and indeed sports betting events, “must be effectively supervised by a sport governing body which must, at minimum, prescribe final rules and enforce codes of conduct that include prohibitions on betting by insiders”.
The statement goes on to say that there must be “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 bet upon events”.
So where are these integrity concerns coming from? Well, ESPN reported in November that a UFC fight between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke was reported for suspicious wagering at the event by operators, causing an investigation. A large bet was placed on Nuerdanbieke to win with rumours that Minner was injured. Minner went on to win by knockout within two minutes.
The AGCO has asked operators to provide information demonstrating the integrity of UFC bets and betting products and proving that they are meeting the Registrar’s Standards.
