Major sanction
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has taken the unprecedented step of suspending PointsBet Canada’s iGaming license over the Jontay Porter betting scandal.
a first for Ontario’s regulated gaming sector
The AGCO’s issuing of a Notice of Proposed Order to suspend PointsBet iGaming registration for five days is a first for Ontario’s regulated gaming sector and places the Mixi-owned sportsbook under public scrutiny.
The province’s gambling regulator took to X with news of its sanction on Thursday:
According to the AGCO, it temporarily suspended PointsBet for “systemic failure to properly monitor, detect, document and report suspicious betting patterns” linked to Porter’s 2024 NBA match-fixing case.
Public punishment
The nub of AGCO’s ire is that PointsBet initially denied taking bets on Porter in early 2024.
After a US Department of Justice indictment in October 2025 detailed the insider betting scheme, however, PointsBet admitted to AGCO it had indeed taken bets on the ex-Toronto Raptor, 18 months after first denying it.
In a press release, AGCO CEO Dr. Karin Schnarr said protecting Ontario’s sports betting integrity was a main priority for the regulator and that it requires all licencees to have systems and staff in place to reliably detect and report shady betting activity.
“Operators must be equipped to detect and effectively respond to integrity risks, and we will take appropriate action when these standards are not met” Schnarr warned.
The reputational damage done to a brand only recently acquired by Japanese digital media giant Mixi will hurt PointsBet Australia as much as the loss of revenue during its suspension.
PointsBet reacts
In response to the suspension, PointsBet Canada issued a statement expressing its disappointment with the decision. The sportsbook blamed its March denial of Porter bets on “human error during an organizational transition – not any intent to withhold information.”
PointsBet added that once it discovered its mistake, it immediately helped with the betting probe and “engaged proactively” with the AGCO.
our right to a hearing before the independent Licence Appeal Tribunal.”
“We respectfully believe the proposed sanction is disproportionate given the circumstances, our subsequent corrective actions, and our strong compliance record,” PointsBet stated. The sportsbook added it was: “carefully reviewing all options, including our right to a hearing before the independent Licence Appeal Tribunal.”
AGCO, meanwhile, pointed out in the news release that it had sanctioned PointsBet before in May 2022, fining it CA$30,000 ($22,100) for advertising-related breaches and C$150,000 ($110,500) in November 2023 for internet gambling violations.
