Canadian regulator to fight competition rigging, Potter case sets example

Canada is fighting against cheating in the sports betting industry, and the latest move is to include a sports integrity watchdog whose mission is to ensure that policies are strong enough to prevent competition manipulation in the industry, and that there is no match manipulation at any level of sports competition.

Toronto Raptors players banned:

A draft of the new program is available, and it was created and published by the Canadian Centre for Sports Ethics (CCES) on Wednesday, Apr. 17, 2024. The program's primary mission is to prevent any manipulation in Canada's sporting events.

On the same day the draft was announced, the NBA banned Jontei Porter, a former backup center for the Toronto Raptors. He was accused of being involved in betting irregularities related to his performance. Jeremy Luke, CEO of a sports integrity organization, hopes that the ban will be a warning to all Canadians involved in similar activities. He said, "People are more aware of this risk, or at least they are aware of it now. It's really important that we have mechanisms in place to prevent or at least mitigate the risk as much as we can."

Porter was accused of distributing confidential information about the game to fans who used it to bet. He also did not participate in at least one game for betting-related reasons and bet on league games. According to Luke, the punishment he received did not surprise authorities. He added, "I thought (the NBA) needed to take significant action on this particular occasion, but I was not surprised by the situation itself. The legalization of single-event sports betting and the spread of advertising certainly increases the risk of competitive manipulation."

Among other issues, Porter was pretending he was sick to avoid playing in a Raptors game in Toronto so he could affect the bets.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), a body that regulates betting in the province, joined forces with the Ontario Provincial Police Bureau to investigate the case further. After the investigation, Porter was accused of violating Section 209 of the Criminal Code of Canada, which doesn’t allow cheating while playing or betting to defraud another person deliberately. However, CCES and other parties claim that section isn’t robust enough.

CCES understands the importance of this issue, so the body decided to hold symposiums to discuss the matter in 2019 and 2023. After that, white papers were published, and the authorities asked for stronger federal policies to help regulate sports betting.

Preventing problems:

The CCES and the Canadian Olympic Committee were included in drafting the Canadian Anti-Manipulation Program. Working groups to draft included various organizations for national sports such as badminton, basketball, cross-country skiing, curling, hockey, racketball, soccer, speedskating, and squash. Athletics CAN and Sports Canada were also included.

If the proposal is accepted, the first step is to educate athletes, coaches, and other stakeholders on the issue. CCES will also have the right to implement the new policy on behalf of cooperative sports organizations.

As reported by the St. Albert Gazette, Luke said: "This is similar to the way anti-doping works in Canada, where you have one sports-independent organization (CCES) that manages policy on behalf of sports. That way, you have the confidence that the organization has the necessary authority and can proceed with disciplinary proceedings that may be necessary."

CCES plans to have the European Convention on the Manipulation of Sports, or Macolin Convention, signed, which will help establish clear laws on sports betting and manipulation during the Games. 바카라사이트 순위