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Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario reinstates betting on UFC events in province

Jan 19, 2023 | 11:48 AM

TORONTO — Ontario bettors can again wager on Ultimate Fighting Championship events.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) reinstated betting on UFC events in the province Thursday.

On Dec. 1, the organization required all registering gaming operators in Ontario to stop offering and accepting bets on UFC fights.

The AGCO said the order to stop wagers on UFC events was made due to concerns about non-compliance with betting integrity requirements after the commission learned of alleged incidents of suspicious wagering by UFC insiders. The commission said the UFC has since “updated its policies and procedures.”

The changes include an amendment to UFC’s athlete conduct policy to prohibit insiders from placing any wagers on any match.

The reinstatement of UFC wagering in Ontario comes ahead of the mixed martial arts promotion’s first pay-per-view event of 2023. UFC 283 is scheduled to take place Saturday in Rio de Janeiro.

The AGCO is responsible for regulating the alcohol, gaming, horse racing and private cannabis retail sectors in Ontario.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2023.

The Canadian Press