Home / Crime and Justice / Ontario Regulator Seeks PointsBet Suspension Over Unreported Bets
Ontario Regulator Seeks PointsBet Suspension Over Unreported Bets
13 Feb
Summary
- AGCO proposed a five-day suspension for PointsBet's Canadian subsidiary.
- Suspension stems from failure to report suspicious wagers on Jontay Porter.
- PointsBet considers appealing, citing unintentional error and compliance record.
Ontario's Alcohol and Gaming Commission (AGCO) has proposed a temporary five-day suspension for PointsBet Canada's registration. This action marks the first time the regulator has moved against a sportsbook since Ontario fully legalized online sports wagering in 2022. The AGCO's decision is based on allegations that PointsBet Canada failed to report suspicious wagers connected to a 2024 betting scheme involving former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter.
Following the surfacing of insider betting allegations tied to Porter in 2024, the AGCO requested that regulated sports gambling sites report any bets offered on the player's statistics. PointsBet Canada initially stated it had not offered such bets but later amended its remarks in October after a US Justice Department indictment revealed a broader insider-betting conspiracy. Porter has since pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and received a lifetime ban from the NBA.
PointsBet Canada has expressed disappointment with the proposed sanction, with CEO Scott Vanderwel calling the failure to disclose unintentional and the penalty disproportionate given the company's compliance history. The company is currently considering an appeal. This situation follows a prior incident in January when the AGCO fined FanDuel Canada for failing to report suspicious betting activities.
