Ontario gaming commission bans betting on UFC fights amid concerns of impropriety

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has banned gambling on UFC fights in the aftermath of potential insider betting and suspicious line movements surrounding a recent bout.

On Thursday, the AGCO ordered gaming operators within its jurisdiction to stop offering and accepting wagers placed on UFC fights, effectively immediately.

“In recent weeks, the AGCO has learned of publicized alleged incidents, including possible betting by UFC insiders, as well as reports of suspicious betting patterns in other jurisdictions,” an AGCO statement read. “Therefore, the AGCO is now taking this step in the public interest. AGCO has indicated to operators that, once the necessary remedial steps have been taken, they may provide information demonstrating that UFC bets or betting products meet the Registrar’s Standards.”

The AGCO added that the decision comes because “the UFC does not prohibit all insiders from betting on UFC events, which could include an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals, or other persons with access to non-public information.”

While this is contrary to a UFC athlete policy implemented in October in which the promotion banned athletes, coaches, and close associates from wagering on fights, a Nov. 5 bout is under investigation for suspicious betting activity.

A featherweight bout at UFC Fight Night 214 between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke saw wild line activity in the hours before the fight. Seconds in, Minner went down with an injury, which led many to believe he was injured entering the fight.

Minner’s head coach, James Krause of Glory MMA and Fitness, was disallowed by the UFC from cornering one of his fighters, Miles Johns, at an event Nov. 19. The Nevada Athletic Commission said last month that an investigation is ongoing and is expected to be on the body’s Dec. 14 meeting agenda.

According to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, U.S. Integrity, a Las Vegas-based integrity firm, is also investigating the Minner-Nuerdanbieke fight. Additionally, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement is not allowing wagers to be placed on fights Krause is associated with.

The UFC said it is looking into the matter with betting integrity partner Don Best Sports. Neither Minner nor Krause have publicly commented on the matter at this time.

Read the full AGCO statement below:

“In order to protect the betting public, effective immediately, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is requiring all registered casino, lottery and igaming operators that offer sport and event betting products in Ontario to stop offering and accepting wagers on Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events due to concerns about non-compliance with AGCO’s betting integrity requirements.

“The Registrar’s Standards include rules to safeguard against odds manipulation, match-fixing and other sports betting integrity issues. Operators must specifically ensure that:

• For sporting events being bet on, the event 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; and
• There are 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.

“Contrary to the Registrar’s Standards, the UFC does not prohibit all insiders from betting on UFC events, which could include an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals, or other persons with access to non-public information.

“In recent weeks, the AGCO has learned of publicized alleged incidents, including possible betting by UFC insiders, as well as reports of suspicious betting patterns in other jurisdictions.

“Therefore, the AGCO is now taking this step in the public interest. AGCO has indicated to operators that, once the necessary remedial steps have been taken, they may provide information demonstrating that UFC bets or betting products meet the Registrar’s Standards.”