Ontario’s gambling regulator is taking an unprecedented step in the wake of the Jontay Porter betting scandal.
In what it said is a first for the province’s regulated iGaming industry, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) intends to temporarily suspend PointsBet Canada, alleging that the licensed sportsbook and casino did not properly detect and report suspicious betting patterns related to the bet-rigging scheme involving former Toronto Raptors player Porter in 2024.
The AGCO alleged there was a “systemic failure” from the operator to spot suspicious activity. As a result, it issued a Notice of Proposed Order to suspend PointsBet Canada’s iGaming registration for five days.
An AGCO spokesperson confirmed to Canadian Gaming Business that nothing will go into effect for at least 15 days. PointsBet has the right to appeal the decision to an independent tribunal within that 15-day period.
Porter pleaded guilty to US federal charges
Porter, then a two-way player for the Raptors, received a lifetime ban from the NBA in April 2024 after an investigation uncovered that he had provided insider information to other bettors regarding his health status and manipulated his own performances to ensure that player prop bets cashed.
In July 2024, Porter pleaded guilty to the U.S. federal crime of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, admitting that he agreed to withdraw early from games so that co-conspirators could win bets on his performance.
Sportsbooks flagged suspicious betting patterns on the under on Porter’s statistics in games in January and March 2024. The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) reported to the FBI, which led to a U.S. federal criminal investigation. The AGCO conducted its own probe through the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Investigation and Enforcement Bureau (IEB) and found there was justification for the OPP to launch a criminal investigation of its own.
AGCO: PointsBet took 18 months to confirm Porter bets
The regulator said in Thursday’s release that, after the allegations regarding Porter and insider betting first emerged, it directed all Ontario-regulated sportsbooks to confirm whether they had offered bets on Porter and if they had detected and reported any suspicious betting activity.
“PointsBet, after significant delay, advised the AGCO it had not offered any such bets,” said the agency’s statement.
However, the AGCO alleged that following the unsealing of a U.S. federal indictment 18 months later, in October 2025, PointsBet said that it had indeed offered betting on Porter in the games that were linked to the scandal.
“Upon obtaining and reviewing PointsBet’s wagering data, the AGCO confirmed the indications of suspicious betting that was central to the scheme uncovered in 2024,” added the regulator’s statement. “These wagers should have been detected and reported at the time the betting occurred.”
“We require all operators to have robust systems and comprehensive staff training in place to reliably detect and report suspicious activity,” said AGCO CEO and Registrar Dr. Karin Schnarr. “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.”
PointsBet cites human error
Canadian Gaming Business reached out to PointsBet Canada for comment on the AGCO fine and the operator responded to say it is “disappointed” by the decision.
“The issues stem from an initial inaccurate response in March 2024, caused by human error during an organizational transition — not any intent to withhold information,” said a PointsBet spokesperson. “Upon discovering the correct data, we immediately disclosed it, cooperated fully with the investigation, and engaged proactively with the regulator.
“We respectfully believe the proposed sanction is disproportionate given the circumstances, our subsequent corrective actions, and our strong compliance record, and we are carefully reviewing all options, including our right to a hearing before the independent Licence Appeal Tribunal.”
PointsBet has been operational in Ontario’s regulated iGaming market since 2022 and has begun the licensing process in Alberta ahead of that province opening its doors later this year.
Ontario regulator taking unprecedented steps
The proposed temporary suspension of PointsBet Canada is the second unprecedented regulatory punishment handed out by the AGCO in a matter of weeks.
In January, the market regulator issued its first-ever fine related to sporting integrity, penalizing FanDuel to the tune of $350,000 for allegedly failing to detect and report suspicious betting activity on a Czech table tennis competition.
