Canada is not immune to integrity issues when it comes to sports wagers. The Ontario regulator of online sports betting has barred certain sportsbooks from accepting bets on World Boxing Association (WBA) bouts, concerned about insider wagering.
As a result, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) required all sports betting sites under its supervision to stop dealing with WBA events.
“This measure is being taken to protect the Ontario betting public following concerns that WBA-sanctioned boxing matches are not adequately being safeguarded against match-fixing and insider betting,” the watchdog said in a press release.
AGCO investigated allegedly suspicious activity on a WBA-sanctioned title fight in Florida between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro. “Suspicious betting patterns” on the length of the fight to be precise.
News reports alleged Tellez’s manager wagered $110,000 on the match lasting over 5.5 rounds at a Florida casino; Tellez would win by knockout in the 10th round. He tried to bet $500,000 but the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood said no dice. Later, the manager referred to the larger wager as nothing more than a stab at humor.
Hard Rock didn’t laugh and removed the fight from the list of events and contacted U.S. Integrity. AGCO’s investigation determined wagers on the WBA failed to meet any kind of smell test.
“Registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate to AGCO that the WBA prohibits betting from insiders, which could include an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals, or others with access to non-public information,” the regulator told Covers.
In December 2022, AGCO also shut down wagers on UFC events over the same issues, but after a few rules changes the UFC returned to the good graces of the regulator.
The WBA may need to follow the same approach.
“Ontarians who wish to bet on sporting events need to be confident that those events are fairly run, and that clear integrity safeguards are in place and enforced by an effective sport governing body,” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, registrar, and CEO of the AGCO, in a statement. “Knowing the popularity of boxing in Ontario, we look forward to reinstating betting on WBA events once appropriate safeguards against possible match-fixing and insider betting have been confirmed.”
