PointsBet Ontario goes offline for 48 hs in AGCO settlement

The deal replaces the five-day suspension the regulator proposed in February and adds an independent audit.

Key Takeaways

• PointsBet Canada will take its Ontario online gambling platform offline for 48 hours under an agreement with the AGCO, closing a dispute over wagers linked to Jontay Porter. The dates for the suspension have not been set.
• PointsBet must fix any problems found, with an independent review to verify the corrective measures.
• In February 2026, the AGCO had proposed a five-day suspension of PointsBet’s iGaming registration; the operator contested it and requested a Licence Appeal Tribunal hearing.

Canada.- PointsBet Canada will take its Ontario online gambling platform offline for 48 hours under an agreement with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). The settlement brings to a close a regulatory dispute over the operator’s handling of wagers linked to Jontay Porter, whose lifetime NBA ban in April 2024 followed violations of the league’s gambling rules. The dates for the suspension have not been set.

The financial and operational review required under the settlement will be conducted by an independent auditor approved by AGCO, which must also approve the audit methodology. PointsBet will be required to fix any problems uncovered during the process, with an independent review to verify that the corrective measures have been implemented.

The outcome is less severe than the penalty initially sought by the regulator. In February 2026, AGCO issued a Notice of Proposed Order recommending that PointsBet’s iGaming registration be suspended for five days. The operator contested that recommendation and requested a hearing before the Licence Appeal Tribunal on February 26, arguing that it had supplied accurate information promptly once it found the relevant data and had cooperated with the investigation.

How the Porter betting case unfolded

Former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter was charged with a federal felony as well as being banned for life by the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 2024 after an NBA investigation found that Porter violated league rules by disclosing confidential information on his health status to a sports bettor, limiting his participation in one or more games for betting purposes and betting on NBA games.

AGCO’s investigation focused on whether PointsBet had flagged and reported unusual wagers involving Porter. As part of its inquiries, the regulator asked Ontario sportsbooks to confirm whether they had offered markets on the player or identified suspicious betting patterns.

PointsBet initially told the commission that it had not accepted bets on Porter. After a US Department of Justice indictment was published, AGCO sought additional confirmation from operators, and PointsBet subsequently acknowledged that it had taken wagers involving the player. The regulator said these wagers should have been detected and reported at the time.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

• What does the PointsBet and AGCO settlement require? A 48-hour shutdown of its Ontario platform, plus a financial and operational review by an independent auditor approved by the AGCO, with fixes for any problems found and an independent check that they were implemented.
• Why did the AGCO investigate PointsBet? It examined whether PointsBet flagged and reported unusual wagers involving Jontay Porter. PointsBet first said it had taken no bets on him, then acknowledged it had after the DOJ indictment was published.
• What penalty had the AGCO proposed? In February 2026, it issued a Notice of Proposed Order recommending a five-day suspension of PointsBet’s iGaming registration, which the operator contested.