FanDuel takes it badly
FanDuel received Ontario’s largest ever betting fine.
failing to identify and report shady betting activity
On Thursday, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) fined FanDuel $350,000 for failing to identify and report shady betting activity on a series of 2024 international table tennis matches.
FanDuel, however, responded that it was disappointed at the penalty, stating it was the only operator to “proactively identify, investigate and report” the suspicious Czech Table Tennis Star Series bets to the AGCO.
The New York City-based firm added the penalty “could discourage the industry from engaging in best efforts to identify, investigate, and report on irregular activity.”
The AGCO, according to ESPN, declined to answer which, if any, sportsbooks reported the suspicious betting activity.
Accusations
According to an AGCO news release, FanDuel accepted 144 bets on Czech table tennis games via three different Ontario accounts between October and November 2024.
displayed multiple indicators associated with match-fixing.”
The regulator said the games under scrutiny “displayed multiple indicators associated with match-fixing.”
The AGCO stated FanDuel failed to spot many red flags, including “abrupt movement in the odds on matches involving two specific athletes; a concentration of bets on those athletes to lose, and the bettors’ implausible and near-perfect win-rate.”
The regulator added that sportsbooks had been warned in advance of integrity concerns surrounding the Czech series.
In Thursday’s news release, AGCO CEO Dr. Karin Schnarr warned her body would “continue to hold all regulated operators accountable” to betting integrity standards.
In addition to the penalty, the AGCO also reported the case to the police.
Investigation
ESPN confirmed the probe with Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) chief superintendent Craig Abrams, who said the OPP had launched “an active and ongoing” criminal investigation into the online betting irregularities.
“The OPP will thoroughly investigate this matter to determine whether any criminal offences were committed in relation to the 144 bets made from the three Ontario bettor accounts.”
FanDuel, meanwhile, has 15 days to appeal the AGCO fine.
