In an online betting market like Ontario’s, with billions of dollars wagered across more than 30 licensed sports betting platforms, how does the gaming regulator work to prevent match-fixing and protect sporting integrity?

Amid a backdrop of high-profile match-fixing cases in Canada and the U.S., not least then-Toronto Raptor Jontay Porter’s NBA ban for affecting his own performances to ensure bets cashed, the topic was discussed at the annual Council of Europe Macolin Community Conference last week.

Held in Gatineau, Queb., this year’s event had a distinctly Canadian flavour, and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) was front and centre.

Several mechanics work on one engine

The AGCO spent great time consulting with various stakeholders before establishing its Registrar Standards for Internet Gaming, which came into effect when Ontario’s commercial online gaming market opened on April 4, 2022.

Doug Hood, the agency’s director of operational planning, priorities and performance, told attendees that the AGCO took inspiration from a number of already existing U.S. jurisdictions when it came to the integrity piece of the puzzle.

“Our philosophy was that we wanted as many information flows as we could get,” Hood said. “We stole a good idea from a number of American jurisdictions in that we require all of our operators to sign contracts with independent integrity monitors.”

Those firms, which include the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360), work with betting platforms to monitor gambling activity and check for suspicious or unusual patterns. Other partners in the process include the likes of data firm Sportradar.

Sportradar’s Head of Integrity Services, Americas Jim Brown, shed some light on how exactly the process works. Monitoring firms use AI predictive analytics to monitor activity, he said, searching for irregular activity such as big betting line movements soon before a game.

“I always equate the betting market to the financial market in that all public information is factored into the pricing,” Brown told attendees. “So, when we see a big price move pre-match and then injury news or something comes out subsequently, it’s usually a pretty good indication that there was sharing of nonpublic information.”

When it comes to reporting, Ontario is a unique case study, given that the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has an Investigation and Support Bureau directly embedded within the AGCO. When AGCO gets intelligence around sports betting, it goes to both regulators and law enforcement. “We deal with it independently of one another, because we have our jurisdictions that we have to respect, but it’s done concurrently,” Hood explained. “That partnership with the OPP is essential for our model to work.”

‘Operators are the first line of defence’

Brown, Hood and their fellow panelists, AGCO Chief Operating Officer Dave Phillips and Canadian Gaming Association President and CEO Paul Burns, all noted that as Ontario’s market has matured, collaboration between all parties has increased. As Brown put it, there’s “a vested interest” for everyone to have a sustainable sports betting marketplace.

Still, in a saturated multi-billion-dollar betting market like Ontario, regulated sportsbooks’ own role is vital. Brown called them “the first line of defence” because they often have a direct relationship with sports leagues, as well as a mandate from AGCO.

“Every single one of those [licensed] operators has an obligation to monitor their books in real time to identify any unusual or suspicious activity,” stressed Phillips. “Under their obligations, whenever they identify unusual or suspicious activity that has any nexus to Ontario whatsoever, we are instantaneously not just getting an alert that this is taking place but getting information and Intel packages from them.”

The books also have the raw betting data, which Brown called “the DNA, the key.”

That becomes particularly important for preventing match-fixing given the increased popularity of in-game wagers and micro betting. “Take baseball,” added Brown. “It could be whether the next pitch is a ball or strike. That market’s not out for very long at all, so it’s hard to monitor without really collaborating with the operators.”

“Cooperation is really key,” concluded Burns. “Having open conversations with a regulator that has created a very robust regulatory regime in Ontario that far exceeds what’s required … The regime is working, and they’re doing their job.”