December 1, 2022
Today the AGCO announced that it has instructed all sports wagering operators in the province of Ontario, including iGaming Ontario betting sites, to stop accepting wagers on the Ultimate Fighting Championship, more commonly known as the UFC. In a release posted on the AGCO website, Registrar and CEO Tom Mungham provided a quote on the issue at hand:
“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 event 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.”
Integrity concerns likely reached a boiling point, leading to this move in Ontario as a result of the recent controversy surrounding the Nuerdanbieke-Minner fight in Nevada on Nov. 5. Several betting outlets reported suspicious wagering activity in the lead up to the fight, which ended as a TKO of Minner by Nuerdanbieke, in only 67 seconds.
As of Nov. 17, the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which oversees mixed martial arts bouts in that state, intends to pursue discplinary actions against fighter Darrick Minner, for failing to disclose an injury prior to the fight. A source familiar with Darrick Minner's camp told ESPN that his left knee was "absolutely injured going into the fight."
With this move by the AGCO to protect its players, many Ontario UFC fans that enjoy betting on these events will now certainly be on the lookout for "black market" online sportsbooks that will accept these forbidden wagers. Ontario is not the only jurisdiction to ban UFC betting for these integrity concerns. Germany's relatively new regulated market also forbids UFC betting.
Return to SNBET's Ontario sports betting news page.
If you are an ardent #UFC bettor within Ontario's new legal market, you are now being pushed to "black market" operators to place your bets. https://t.co/55UmmcohzG
— SNBET (@SNBET_ca) December 1, 2022