AGCO Urges Halting WBA Wagering Due to Integrity Concerns

Get Ready to Place Bets on Boxing Once Again, Says AGCO

In a recent announcement, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has stated that all licensed sports betting operators in the Canadian province should cease offering and accepting wagers on World Boxing Association (WBA) fights, effective immediately.

This decision comes as a result of a thorough review of WBA-related betting activity conducted by the AGCO since December 2023. During this investigation, suspicious betting patterns surfaced during the title fight between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro.

The 10-round match, held in Orlando, Florida, ended with Tellez knocking out Navarro in the 10th round. The AGCO claims that the event attracted unusual betting activity. Furthermore, media reports suggest that Tellez's manager may have placed a $110,000 bet on the fight going longer than 5.5 rounds.

After assessing the situation, the AGCO concluded that WBA events fail to meet the standards set out in their Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming. As a consequence, licensed operators must discontinue offering wagers on WBA-sanctioned competitions until the league adopts measures that prohibit betting by insiders.

The AGCO revealed that registered gaming operators couldn't prove that the WBA currently discourages insiders, such as trainers, managers, handlers, medical professionals, or others, from placing bets on WBA events. Moreover, the AGCO stated that no action was taken by the gaming operators to investigate allegations of potential match-fixing and insider betting.

Dr. Karin Schnarr, AGCO's Registrar and CEO, commented on the matter, stating that people placing bets on sporting events require confidence that these events are honest. For this reason, organizations must establish stringent integrity safeguards enforced by an effective sports governing body.

Schnarr also expressed optimism about reinstating WBA betting as soon as the league implements measures to ensure the integrity of its events.

With the popularity of boxing in Ontario, we eagerly await the reinstatement of betting on WBA events once proper safeguards against possible match-fixing and insider betting have been confirmed. Interestingly, the AGCO previously faced similar issues with the UFC but resumed wagering on MMA events following the league's policy adjustments.

Key Insights:

It is unclear what specific integrity issues led to the suspension of betting on WBA games in Ontario by the AGCO.
Boxing, as a sport, is grappling with broader governance problems, particularly in regards to the International Boxing Association (IBA) which has been embroiled in controversies surrounding financial transparency and judging integrity (source: [1][3][4]).
Concerns about integrity in sports often revolve around issues such as financial transparency, integrity of judging and scoring, and governance (source: [2]).

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has suspended betting on World Boxing Association (WBA) fights, citing unmet standards and potential insider betting.
WBA events are under scrutiny for failing to prevent insiders, like managers or trainers, from placing bets on WBA-sanctioned competitions.
The AGCO is optimistic that betting on WBA events will be reinstated once the league strengthens its measures to ensure event integrity.
Additionally, the AGCO's decision to suspend sports betting on WBA fights follows a review of betting activity and an investigation into suspicious patterns found during a title fight between Yoenis Tellez and Livan Navarro.