AGCO bans betting on WBA events due to integrity concerns

The World Boxing Association (WBA) may be forced to clean up its act after the gambling regulator in Ontario banned betting on its events.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) said Thursday that it is requiring all licensed operators in the province to immediately withdraw WBA events from their betting catalogues, citing the inadequate safeguarding of those events from an integrity perspective.

The order follows an investigation into potential match-fixing and insider betting on a WBA-sanctioned title fight between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro in Orlando, Florida, in December 2023.

A licensed operator and two independent monitoring organisations notified the Ontario gambling regulator of suspicious betting activity on the fight, specifically on the bout lasting over 5.5 rounds.

Media reports also alleged that Tellez’s manager bet CA$110,000 on the match lasting longer than 5.5 rounds at a Florida casino. The bout ended with Tellez knocking out Navarro in the 10th round.

The AGCO said in a statement: “Following an intensive review that included outreach to the WBA, Ontario-registered gaming operators, independent integrity monitors, and regulators in other jurisdictions, the AGCO has concluded that bets related to WBA events do not currently meet the Registrar’s Standards for Internet Gaming.”

Those standards require operators to ensure that events offered for betting are effectively supervised by a sport governing body, and that at a minimum, the sport governing body must have and enforce codes of conduct that prohibit betting by insiders.

“Registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate to the AGCO that the WBA prohibits betting from insiders […],” said the regulator. “Further, registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate that the WBA took any action to investigate or enforce the allegations of potential match-fixing and insider wagering.”

AGCO registrar and chief executive Karin Schnarr said: “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. 

“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.”

Similar action by the Ontario gambling regulator against UFC in December 2022 forced the organisation to amend its policies and implement new protocols, allowing betting on UFC events to be reinstated within one month.