UFC strikes ProhiBet deal to strengthen sports betting compliance
Mixed martial arts promotion partners with monitoring tech firm to beef up protections
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has struck a partnership with ProhiBet in its latest step to increase regulation surrounding sports betting.
ProhiBet will provide its monitoring solution to allow the organization to check against individuals who are restricted from betting on the sport.
The move comes after last year’s announcement that the MMA promotion was strengthening its rules to prevent fighters, coaches, and officials from wagering on events – though fighters are allowed to be sponsored by sports betting operators.
Riché T. McKnight, executive vice-president and general counsel of UFC, said: “One of the foundations of UFC’s success is our dedication to embracing regulation and compliance to promote safety and fairness in our sport.
“Our collaboration with ProhiBet is another step towards strengthening our integrity controls by helping us to enforce our anti-gambling policy and support the integrity of our sport.”
Matt Heap, managing director of ProhiBet, added: “We are thrilled to partner with UFC. The combination of ProhiBet’s state-of-the-art encrypted data transfer system and UFC’s dedication to upholding the integrity of sports will undoubtedly enhance the transparency and trustworthiness of sports betting activities.”
UFC previously penned a deal with betting integrity monitoring platform US Integrity, one of ProhiBet’s JV partners, after the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario ordered all licensed operators to stop offering bets on UFC fights.