The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is requiring all registered gaming operators who offer sports betting to stop accepting wagers on World Boxing Association events.
The regulator says it has concerns that WBA-sanctioned boxing matches don't have adequate safeguards in place to protect against match fixing and insider betting.
The AGCO has been reviewing what it calls "suspicious wagering activity" on a December title fight in Florida between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro.
The regulator says two independent integrity monitors and an Ontario registered iGaming operator detected "suspicious betting patterns" and some media reports alleged that Tellez's manager placed a $110,000 bet on the match lasting longer than 5 1/2 rounds.
The AGCO says following its review, it has concluded that WBA events don't currently meet the Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming, but it will be reinstated if AGCO-regulated operators can demonstrate the WBA effectively supervises its events.
In December 2022, the AGCO required operators to stop offering bets on Ultimate Fighting Championship events over similar insider better concerns, and within a month the UFC implemented new protocols that led to AGCO reinstating betting in the province.