Alberta Backs Off UFC Ban, Ontario Stays Course

  • Alberta has lifted a ban on UFC betting after the suspension of UFC Coach James Krause.
  • Krause is alleged to have bet on fights using insider information.
  • Ontario is keeping their ban on UFC odds in place until further notice.

TORONTO - The Canadian province of Alberta has lifted a ban on UFC betting amidst a scandal involving UFC Coach James Krause, who is believed to have been wagering on fights.

Alberta was one of two Canadian provinces that banned UFC betting odds as more information about the Krouse story came out.

Krause’s suspension from the UFC was evidently enough to convince Alberta that it was ok to reinstate UFC betting odds.

The other province that banned UFC odds, Ontario, still maintains a ban on UFC odds, saying that they “recognize the recent steps taken and are committed to engaging with Ontario’s gaming industry, UFC, the OLG, and iGaming Ontario to ensure that the UFC has the necessary betting integrity framework in place, in particular relating to wagering by UFC insiders.”

Per Ontario’s Registrar’s Standards, which must be upheld by all organizations upon which online gambling odds are offered:

“For sporting events being bet on, the event must be effectively supervised by a sport governing body which must, at minimum, prescribe final rules and enforce codes of conduct that include prohibitions on betting by insiders”

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario holds that the UFC did not meet these standards, saying:

“The UFC does not prohibit all insiders from betting on UFC events, which could include an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals, or other persons with access to non-public information.”

Ontario remains the only province still banning UFC betting. Quebec did not enforce a ban at all, and neither did British Columbia.

Tony Mungham, the Registrar and COO of the AGCO, issued the following statement:

“The Standards exist to protect the betting public and to provide the necessary safeguards against odds manipulation, match-fixing and other integrity issues. This is not a decision we take lightly, knowing the popularity of UFC events in Ontario’s sports books. However, the risks of insider betting on event and wagering integrity should be highly concerning to all. It certainly is to us. We will continue to work with gaming operators, the OLG, iGaming Ontario and UFC to ensure that wagering on UFC events meets the AGCO’s Standards.”