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Alberta becomes second Canadian province to ban UFC betting over integrity issues

Alberta has joined Ontario in banning wagers on UFC events, according to reports Friday that cite a statement from Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis.

According to the statement, Alberta stopped offering and accepting UFC bets effective Thursday, the same day Ontario also banned UFC wagers due to concerns about the UFC’s non-compliance with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario’s betting integrity requirements.

The Ontario commission said it learned of publicized alleged incidents in recent weeks, including possible betting by UFC insiders and reports of suspicious betting patterns in other jurisdictions.

Alberta also cited possible risks of wagering integrity as its reason.

Retired fighter and current coach James Krause’s license was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, the UFC announced Friday per ESPN’s David Purdham. It was not immediately clear if the suspension was related to the bans in Canada.

Pending bets on the UFC in Alberta were voided and returned to players.

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