On February 12, 2026, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) announced a five-day suspension of PointsBet Canada’s igaming registration due to the operator’s failure to properly monitor and report suspicious betting linked to the 2024 NBA bet-rigging scandal involving Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter. This marks a historic first in Ontario’s regulated igaming sector, highlighting serious concerns about PointsBet’s oversight during a major criminal investigation in the United States.
Delayed Admission of Suspicious Betting on Jontay Porter
Following insider betting allegations in early 2024 connected to Porter, the AGCO instructed all Ontario sportsbooks to confirm whether they had offered bets related to the player and if any suspicious activity had been reported. PointsBet initially denied offering such bets. However, after a U.S. Department of Justice indictment publicized the wider insider betting scheme in October 2025, PointsBet reversed its position and admitted it had indeed offered bets on Porter’s games. This admission came eighteen months after the commission’s first request.
AGCO’s Review Confirms Critical Oversight Failures by PointsBet
After obtaining PointsBet’s wagering data, the AGCO identified clear evidence of suspicious betting patterns central to the 2024 scheme. These irregular activities should have been detected and reported by PointsBet at the time of occurrence, but instead were overlooked. AGCO emphasized that regulated igaming operators have a crucial responsibility to act swiftly as the first defense in safeguarding the integrity of sports and Ontario’s sports betting market.
Importance of Integrity Monitoring in Ontario’s Sports Betting Market
The AGCO requires operators to implement comprehensive monitoring systems and ensure thorough staff training to detect unusual betting behavior indicative of manipulation or rigging. Early detection and reporting help alert sports leagues like the NBA, integrity monitors, regulators, and law enforcement agencies to potential threats. This vigilance also protects bettors globally by maintaining fairness and trust within the betting ecosystem.
PointsBet’s Previous Regulatory Violations
This suspension adds to PointsBet’s history of regulatory challenges in Ontario. The AGCO issued a monetary penalty to the operator in May 2022 for breaches related to advertising and inducements, followed by another fine in November 2023 for failing to meet responsible gambling standards. These repeated infractions underscore ongoing concerns about PointsBet’s compliance with provincial regulations.
Rights to Appeal and Independent Oversight
Operators receiving a notice of proposed order to suspend their registration have 15 days to submit an appeal to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT). This independent adjudicative body, part of Tribunals Ontario, reviews such cases separately from the AGCO, ensuring fairness and due process in regulatory enforcement actions.
AGCO’s Commitment to Protecting Sports Integrity
Safeguarding the integrity of sports and Ontario’s sports betting market is a top priority for the AGCO. 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.
– Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar, AGCO
Regulatory Background of the AGCO
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is a provincial regulatory agency under the Ministry of the Attorney General. Incorporated under the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario Act, 2019, AGCO is responsible for overseeing regulated gambling activities, ensuring lawful and ethical standards within Ontario’s gaming environment.
Significance and Future Implications
The suspension of PointsBet by the AGCO reflects the heightened vigilance within Ontario’s igaming industry amid the NBA bet-rigging investigation. This decisive action signals to all operators the critical need for stringent compliance with monitoring and reporting obligations. Moving forward, enforcement measures like this will likely intensify to preserve market integrity and protect patrons from betting activities compromised by insider manipulation. The case also underscores ongoing cooperation between Canadian regulators and U.S. authorities in addressing cross-border sports integrity threats.
