Alberta reintroduces UFC betting after short hiatus

Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis, the gambling regulator in the namesake Canadian province, has reintroduced betting on the Ultimate Fighting Championship after the watchdog had to temporarily suspend wagers over suspicions that UFC insiders continued to gamble on the outcome of fights using information that was otherwise unknown to the public.

While the UFC acted quickly to prohibit fighters and their families and friends from gambling on UFC fights, the organization did little to address the much larger problem, i.e. the fact that coaches, members of the organization, and other people privy to sensitive information could still gamble.

Ontario became the first province to issue a suspension almost immediately followed by AGLC and Alberta. Meanwhile, a fight involving Darrick Minner and coach James Krause was put under scrutiny for alleged match-fixing, prompting the UFC to issue a swift response and told UFC fighters to stop working with Krause or not be allowed into the octagon.

Alberta’s watchdog did not go into too many details as to what prompted its decision but said that it kept a vigilant eye on the ongoing case and the UFC’s response to it. The UFC for its part has been determined to prove that it has remedied any lingering suspicions about the integrity of its organization.

Alberta’s regulator has also refused to issue specific enforcement against the UFC, arguing that the onus is on the organization to alter its policies if it wishes to be accepted as a viable betting contest. The MMA promotion has long played coy with the enforcement of ethical guidelines on betting.

When sports betting was legalized in the United States in 2018, many organizations hurried to pass comprehensive rules that prohibitedtheirplayers and insiders from gambling on the outcome of any game associated with those organizations. However, the UFC took until years after to act in the same way, even though UFC generates a good amount of betting handle.

The UFC has assured, though, that it will take all necessary steps to prove to regulators in Ontario and Alberta that it is running a clean sport. Ontario has not yet made any amendments to its suspension of sports betting games.

Image credit: Unsplash.com