As the province gets closer to a full market, competitive launch, the integrity of Ontario sports betting is more and more of a talking point.
Bragg Gaming Group this week was the latest iGaming supplier to be granted a license by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, bringing the total now to seven. Last week 888 was the sixth approved by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to offer sports betting in the province.
Bragg has operations across Europe, North America and Latin America. Bragg will supply local iGaming and sports betting operators with its player account management platform, iGaming content and managed services.
When it goes live on April 4, Ontario is expected to be one of the larger markets in North America, with at least 30 licensed iGaming operators when all is said and done, according to reports.
With that in mind, the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).
What The Agreement Means
The objective with the memorandum is to provide a framework for cooperation between the two organizations on sports betting and Ontario online casinos, along with related integrity issues. It’s also meant to protect sports, consumers and regulated betting operators from corrupt activities.
“IBIA will be one of only a handful of sports integrity monitors recognized by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario for licensed operators and we believe there is great value in deepening our relationship with the organization,” Paul Burns, president and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, said in a news release.
“As the CGA looks ahead to the opening of Ontario’s iGaming market and the expansion of sports betting products and services across Canada in 2022, the protection of athletes and integrity of sports betting is a key priority.”
IBIA represents many of the largest regulated sports betting operators in the world with its account-based integrity monitoring system covering more than $137 billion in betting transactions per year globally, the release said. The IBIA was recently accredited by the AGCO as an independent integrity monitor. All licensed operators in Ontario will be required to be part of the monitoring system.
‘Betting Integrity at the Forefront’
“We will be seeking to engage with a wide range of key stakeholders on betting and integrity related issues and see the CGA as a pivotal partner in the achievement of that goal,” Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said in the release. “The CGA has been a driving force behind the evolution of regulated betting in Canada and IBIA views it as a valued and critical partner in the continued development of the sector and in placing sporting and betting integrity at the forefront of that.”
Areas that the IBIA can help monitor include detecting and reporting suspicious activities in betting markets, using detailed market data to investigate and punish corruption, develop education activities to protect players, channel consumers to the onshore regulated market, and support sports bodies, law enforcement and regulatory authorities in the fight against fraud and manipulation.
The IBIA and CGA will explore and start up cooperative projects and partnerships in areas of mutual interest going forward.
