Ontario’s gambling watchdog fines FanDuel $350K

A gambler checks the odds boards at the FanDuel sportsbook in East Rutherford N.J. on Aug. 30, 2021. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

FanDuel Canada is facing a $350,000 fine after Ontario’s gambling watchdog found it failed to report “unusual and suspicious” betting linked to allegedly fixed table tennis matches in Europe.

In a news release issued Thursday, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) said it determined that between Oct. 23 and Nov. 30, 2024, the popular sports gambling site accepted 144 bets from three Ontario players on Czech Table Tennis Star Series matches that “displayed multiple indicators associated with match-fixing.”

The AGCO said the events have known integrity concerns, and in the context of its investigation, it found there were “numerous red flags” that should have prompted action on FanDuel’s behalf. Those red flags included what investigators called “abrupt” shifts in wagering behaviour and betting lines on matches involving two specific athletes who were not named.

Other concerns included a concentration of bets on athletes losing their matches, an “implausible” and near-perfect win rate, as well as clear links and synchronized wagering.

“This activity occurred after previous industry warnings about the risk of integrity concerns with this particular tournament series,” the AGCO said in announcing its penalty against FanDuel.

In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson for FanDuel said its integrity monitoring program, which it described as industry-leading, enabled it to be the “only operator to proactively identify, investigate and report this suspicious activity to integrity monitors.”

“As an operator that prides itself on the trust we have built with our stakeholders, we do not feel that this action accurately reflects the commitment and investment we have consistently demonstrated regarding protecting the industry, our customers, and the integrity of sport. We also are concerned it could discourage the industry from engaging in best efforts to identify, investigate, and report on irregular activity,” the statement read in part.

The AGCO said FanDuel failed to meet its obligations to identify the unusual and suspicious activity, adding that the behaviour carried on uninterrupted for several weeks. It did not say how much money was wagered or paid out in connection with the bets.

In allegedly failing to flag the suspicious activity, the AGCO charged that FanDuel undermined the ability of regulators, police and sports officials to identify and disrupt organized efforts to fix games or bets.

“For Ontarians to have confidence that they are betting on fair games and events with honest outcomes, the AGCO requires operators to have robust controls in place to quickly identify unusual or suspicious betting activity and intervene to protect bettors when it occurs,” it said in a news release.

FanDuel said that while it is “disappointed” with the decision made by the AGCO, it remains unwavering in its commitment to collaborating with the regulator in identifying areas of integrity concerns and protecting sports from those who “seek to undermine fair competition and the games we love.”

FanDuel has 15 days to appeal the fine.