Ontario’s gambling regulator has taken steps to temporarily suspend PointsBet Canada’s registration after determining the operator failed to identify and report questionable wagers connected to a betting scandal involving former NBA player Jontay Porter.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) issued a Notice of Proposed Order that would halt PointsBet’s iGaming registration for five days. The regulator described the action as the first of its kind within Ontario’s regulated online gambling market. Officials cited what they called a systemic breakdown in monitoring, documenting, and reporting irregular betting patterns tied to a 2024 bet-rigging investigation centered on Porter.

Regulator Details Timeline of Reporting Failures

Concerns first surfaced in early 2024 after allegations emerged that Porter, who was then with the Toronto Raptors, had shared insider information with bettors. At that time, the AGCO instructed all provincially licensed sportsbooks to confirm whether they had offered wagers involving Porter and to disclose any suspicious betting activity linked to those markets.

According to the regulator, PointsBet responded only after what officials characterized as a significant delay and indicated that it had not offered bets on Porter.

In October 2025, the public release of an indictment from the U.S. Department of Justice outlined a broader insider betting conspiracy involving Porter. Following that disclosure, the AGCO asked operators to reconfirm whether betting activity on Porter markets had occurred and whether any irregularities had been detected.

Eighteen months after its initial reply, PointsBet acknowledged for the first time that it had, in fact, offered betting markets on Porter during the games in question. The AGCO then obtained and examined the operator’s wagering records. Regulators reported that their review confirmed “indications of suspicious betting” connected to the 2024 scheme and stated that those wagers should have been flagged and reported when they were placed.

Under Ontario’s gaming framework, licensed operators must immediately report unusual betting activity that could signal match manipulation or insider involvement. The AGCO has emphasized that sportsbooks serve as a front-line safeguard for sports integrity and are responsible for alerting leagues, oversight bodies, regulators, and law enforcement when questionable activity appears. Early reporting can also allow operators in other jurisdictions to take steps to limit exposure to compromised bets.

PointsBet Responds and Considers Appeal

In response to the proposed suspension, PointsBet Canada said it disagrees with the regulator’s decision. In a statement, the company said it is “disappointed by the AGCO’s decision to propose a five-day suspension of our operator registration.”

“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,” a spokesperson wrote. “Upon discovering the correct data, we immediately disclosed it, cooperated fully with the investigation, and engaged proactively with the regulator.”

PointsBet added that it believes “the proposed sanction is disproportionate given the circumstances, our subsequent corrective actions, and our strong compliance record,” and confirmed it is reviewing its options, including the right to request a hearing before the independent Licence Appeal Tribunal. Operators that receive a notice of proposed suspension have 15 days to file an appeal with the tribunal, which operates separately from the AGCO as part of Tribunals Ontario.

The Porter case has drawn international attention. The NBA imposed a lifetime ban on Porter after determining he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors. He later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a U.S. federal criminal proceeding connected to the betting investigation. Authorities have described the case as part of a wider scheme that attracted scrutiny from American law enforcement agencies.

Prior Regulatory Actions

This is not the first disciplinary measure the AGCO has taken against PointsBet. In May 2022, the regulator fined the operator over violations related to advertising and inducements. In November 2023, the company received another monetary penalty for breaching responsible gambling standards.

Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar of the AGCO, reiterated the regulator’s stance in a public statement: “Safeguarding the integrity of sports and Ontario’s sports betting market is a top priority for the AGCO. We require all operators to have robust systems and comprehensive staff training in place to reliably detect and report suspicious activity. 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.”

If the proposed order proceeds without a successful appeal, PointsBet’s Ontario registration would be suspended for five days. The AGCO maintains that compliance with reporting obligations remains central to preserving trust in the province’s regulated sports betting environment.