Points Bet Canada has declared that it will appeal the Ontario Alcohol and Gaming Commission's (AGCO) five-day suspension of the operator.

5-Day Suspension

On February 12, AGCO announced that it was issuing a Notice of Proposed Order against Points Bet Canada, which would result in a five-day suspension of its operator registration due to its alleged mismanagement of the Jontay Porter betting scandal. The AGCO has claimed that Points Bet neglected to adequately monitor, identify, document, and report suspicious betting patterns in 2024 related to Porter.

“Safeguarding the integrity of sports and Ontario’s sports betting market is a top priority for the AGCO,” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, AGCO Chief Executive Officer and Registrar.

“We require all operators to have robust systems and comprehensive staff training in place to reliably detect and report suspicious activity. Our regulatory framework is clear—operators must be equipped to detect and effectively respond to integrity risks, and we will take appropriate action when these standards are not met,” he added.

All sportsbooks that are regulated in Ontario were ordered by the AGCO to ascertain whether they had taken bets on Porter and whether they had discovered any suspicious betting activity, according to the organization's statement that this order came after allegations of insider betting involving Porter surfaced in early 2024. Points Bet Canada stated it had not placed such wagers after a "significant delay," according to the AGCO.

Allegations related to the Porter gambling controversy

Following the announcement of nationwide FBI arrests in October, when Porter was allegedly involved in bigger betting schemes that also included fellow NBA players Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups, the AGCO sent out another communication to Ontario sportsbooks requesting reconfirmation of suspicious betting on Porter markets.

Eighteen months after its original answer, Points Bet Canada stated that it had, in fact, offered gambling on Porter in those contests at that moment. The AGCO suspension, the first time licensed sportsbooks in Ontario had experienced anything like it, was founded on that.

At the time, a company spokeswoman said, "The issues arise from an initial inaccurate response in March 2024, caused by human error during an organizational change, not from any intention to withhold information. As soon as we discovered the correct data, we immediately revealed it, fully cooperated with the investigation, and proactively engaged with the regulator."

Canada Points Bet to Go

Before Tribunal Points Bet Canada was given 15 days to file an appeal with the License Appeal Tribunal regarding the AGCO's decision. The deadline for that is February 27 at the end of the day.

According to industry sources, the suggested punishment was considered excessive for the problem at hand, which was caused by human mistake on the part of a youthful trader. Casino.org heard from others in the field that they believed the suspension was excessive.

“That’s a heavy penalty for this. I dealt with the AGCO on some shady esports betting and it was quite easy to audit wagering history and show that you had been communicating with IBIA and removed said wagers,” said Phill Gray, who worked in the industry with Sports Interaction. “So again some clerical mismanagement on PointsBet’s part. But nothing enough to warrant this action in my opinion.”

Today, the firm stated in a statement that the situation under question was not a sign of a systemic breakdown inside the organization or a desire to keep information hidden.

Points Bet Canada stated that it revealed the mistake as soon as it became aware of it and worked closely with the AGCO throughout the inquiry.

We're Preserving the Integrity of Sports, says AGCO.

"We have a strong compliance record in Ontario and remain fully committed to the highest standards of integrity and player protection,” said Scott Vanderwel, PointsBet Canada Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to presenting our case at the Tribunal.”

Updates will be supplied as the situation advances.

Porter pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy after intentionally underperforming in two early 2024 Raptors games and working with gamblers to profit from prop bets. Porter is awaiting sentencing, with a possible 20-year prison sentence. Even though he has been banned for life from the NBA, he just revealed that he would play in the new United States Basketball League.