FanDuel Fined $350K in Ontario for Allowing Bets with Match-Fixing Concerns
Ontario’s regulator, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, announced it fined FanDuel 350000 after reviewing betting activity that raised integrity concerns. The regulator said FanDuel accepted more than 140 wagers on a Czech table tennis competition that had been flagged for suspicious activity, and that the operator did not meet its obligations to detect and respond to unusual betting behavior. The bets were placed between October 23, 2024 and November 30, 2024. Regulators said there were multiple warning signs, including abrupt shifts in wagering and betting lines involving two athletes, a concentration of bets on athletes who ultimately lost, implausible win rate patterns, and synchronized wagering across accounts linked to the suspicious activity. The regulator also noted the wagers occurred despite prior warnings circulating in the industry about integrity concerns tied to that table tennis series. The regulator emphasized that operators must be proactive in identifying suspicious betting to protect patrons and public trust, and stated it will continue holding regulated operators accountable. FanDuel has the right to appeal to the Licence Appeal Tribunal within 15 days. FanDuel disputed the decision, saying it has a sports integrity monitoring program combining technology, real time monitoring, and an experienced risk and trading team, and argued the fine does not reflect its investment and commitment to integrity. The company also said its monitoring led it to proactively identify, investigate, and report the suspicious activity, and that it then reported it to the regulator. The article also frames this penalty as part of Ontario’s broader push to enforce compliance, citing other recent fines against regulated gambling operators in the province.
