UFC’s revised “athlete code of conduct” will “expressly prohibit” fighters and teams from placing bets on UFC matches.
In compliance with promotion regulations, UFC athletes and their teams will no longer be permitted to wager on their fights.
The “UFC Athlete Code of Conduct” has been updated to include a section on athlete wagering, according to UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell, who sent a memo to the promotion’s roster and athlete managers on Monday.
We are now compelled to recognize in the UFC Athlete Conduct Policy certain restrictions relating to wagering by our athletes, members of their teams, and certain others in light of clear direction that we have received from regulators responsible for the regulated sports betting industry in the United States. … UFC has incorporated a wagering prohibition into the UFC Athlete Conduct Policy expressly prohibiting athletes from wagering on any UFC match,” the full amendment titled “Wagering” reads. “… In order to assist our athletes in understanding their obligations under the laws of the majority of states in which sports betting is permitted, and in further support of these integrity measures
The amended Wagering section discusses betting on the UFC :
“Athletes are prohibited from placing any wagers (directly or through a third party) on any UFC match, including placing any wagers on themselves. In most states with legalized sports betting, wagering by an athlete (directly or through a third party) on any MMA match put on by a promoter with which they are affiliated is illegal and may result in criminal sanction. Athletes should also be aware that in most states these same prohibitions apply to some or all of (i) relatives living in the same household as an athlete, (ii) an athlete’s coaches, managers, handlers, athletic trainers, medical professionals and staff, and (iii) any other person with access to non-public information regarding participants in any MMA match. An athlete that becomes aware or has knowledge of any wagering in violation of these restrictions must immediately notify UFC of such incident in accordance with this UFC Athlete Conduct Policy.”
Tom covers UFC, NFL and MLB for Vegas-odds.com. When he's not writing about sports, he's usually playing poker or betting on the spread. Contributor at GamblingIndustryNews.com and PokerIndustryNews.com
