Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, has turn out to be a gorgeous market for a lot of firms within the playing sector, particularly after the launch of on-line playing this yr. Regardless of permitting prospects to take pleasure in a diverse choice of betting merchandise, the province has now opted to ban sports activities betting on the Final Preventing Championship (UFC) due to integrity considerations.
Operators Can No Longer Supply UFC Betting
As defined by the Alcohol and Playing Fee of Ontario (AGCO), the UFC, as a sports activities league, doesn’t comply with a few of the codes of conduct anticipated by the regulator. Whereas most sports activities prohibit insiders, corresponding to coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals, or different individuals with entry to personal data, from playing on occasions from the identical sport and league, the UFC doesn’t.
Ontario guidelines state that for sporting occasions to be wager on, a sports activities governing physique should supervise the league and implement guidelines, together with the prohibition on betting by insiders. As well as, a league should have adequate safeguards to attenuate match-fixing and dishonest.
The AGCO believes that insider betting is a big downside because it exposes the UFC to the risks of gambling-related fraud. As well as, insiders could have data that has not been publicly disclosed and should give them an unfair benefit when putting a wager. In consequence, the regulator prohibited licensed operators within the province from providing UFC betting.
This Determination Was Not Taken Frivolously
The AGCO emphasised that its determination is a step that’s within the public’s greatest curiosity. It comes within the gentle of a number of UFC matches, throughout which suspicious betting exercise was recorded.
Tom Mungham, registrar and CEO of the AGCO, stated that this determination was not taken flippantly, particularly when contemplating UFC’s reputation within the province of Ontario. But, Mungham emphasised, the regulator’s requirements exist to guard the betting public towards odds manipulation, match-fixing and integrity points as a complete.
The dangers of insider betting on occasion and wagering integrity needs to be extremely regarding to all. It actually is to us. We are going to proceed to work with gaming operators, the OLG, iGaming Ontario and UFC to make sure that wagering on UFC occasions meets the AGCO’s Requirements.
Tom Mungham, registrar and CEO, AGCO
The UFC has already made strides towards making certain the league’s integrity. On October 18, the championship up to date its coverage, prohibiting fighters and their shut associates from putting punts on UFC occasions. Regardless of that, fighters had been nonetheless allowed to ink sponsorship agreements with playing firms.
