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Ontario’s gaming regulator has put a halt on wagers on boxing matches sanctioned by the World Boxing Association (WBA) after suspicious betting patterns and a subsequent review.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) began a review in December after suspicious wagering activity in a WBA-sanctioned fight between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro. The AGCO said that suspicious patterns on the fight lasting more than 5.5 rounds were noted by two integrity monitors and detected by a registered operator in the province.
The Wall Street Journal reported in January that Tellez’s manager, Eduardo Perez, attempted to place a $500,000 wager on the fight lasting longer than 5.5 rounds at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel in Florida, but was only permitted to bet $110,000.
After the incident, the AGCO said it conducted an “intensive review” that included outreach with the WBA, operators, integrity monitors, and regulators in other jurisdictions.
Following that review, the AGCO concluded that “bets for WBA events do not meet the registrar’s standards for internet gaming.”
“Registered gaming operators were unable to demonstrate to the 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 AGCO said in a statement.
“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.”
To reinstate the bets, the AGCO said that operators must be able to demonstrate that the WBA effectively supervises its events.
“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.
“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.”
An AGCO spokesman confirmed to Vixio GamblingCompliance on Thursday (April 18) that the prohibition applies only to fights that are sanctioned exclusively by the WBA.
Fights that are sanctioned by multiple organizations will remain eligible for betting, including a May 2 fight between superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Jaime Munguia, as well as the May 18 heavyweight championship unification fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
The AGCO took similar action in December 2022 against Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) betting after integrity questions surrounded a trainer, but it reinstated betting on the events several weeks later after UFC implemented new policies banning fighters and other insiders from betting on fights.
