The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and PointsBet Canada have reached a settlement regarding a previously issued five-day suspension of the operator’s iGaming registration, as PointsBet will instead conduct a 48-hour suspension of its Ontario gaming site.
On 12 February, the AGCO issued a notice of proposed order to suspend the iGaming registration of PointsBet for a five-day period, alleging the operator failed to report suspicious betting patterns that were related to the investigation of former NBA player Jontay Porter.
As a result of match-fixing allegations, Porter was given a lifetime ban from the NBA, and eventually plead guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in July.
The AGCO had requested all Ontario-regulated sportsbooks confirm whether they had offered bets on Porter or if any suspicious betting activity was found in relation. Following a “significant delay,” PointsBet advised the AGCO it had not offered any bets on Porter leading up to the suspension.
However, the public release of a US Department of Justice indictment forced the AGCO to once again confirm with Ontario operators whether any suspicious betting had occurred on Porter markets.
18 months after stating it never provided bets on the former NBA player, PointsBet acknowledged it offered such wagers for the first time.
PointsBet Canada then requested a hearing before the independent Licence Appeal Tribunal to contest the five-day suspension on 26 February.
The operator claimed it “immediately” disclosed accurate data to the AGCO upon discovery and has “cooperated fully” with the regulator throughout Porter’s investigation.
In addition to the 48-hour suspension, PointsBet Canada will also undertake an independent audit using personnel and methodology approved by the Ontario regulator and has committed to address any findings.
The AGCO fined NorthStar Gaming CA$100,000 on 27 August for failing to classify a player as ‘high risk,’ despite the bettor’s disclosed occupation having been flagged by its own AML policies
