The Canadian Football League believes that its match manipulation policy is working as intended after investigators found no wrongdoing during the 2025 season.
“We have external experts who monitor our betting platforms, and they raise issues if they see anything funky that’s going on,” commissioner Stewart Johnston revealed during his State of the League address on Friday. “We had five games this year that triggered alerts, so they’re paying attention. We did investigate, and there were no concerns from an integrity standpoint once the investigation happened.”
A CFL source confirmed to 3DownNation that five games were flagged due to abnormal gambling trends, as well as a number of prop bets. In all cases, a legitimate reason was found for the discrepancy, such as a key injured player being ruled in or out. An alert is triggered when a betting line shifts dramatically late in the week.
In their State of the Union address, the Canadian Football League Players’ Association (CFLPA) said they were unaware that any games had been flagged before the commissioner took the stage.
“We learned that at the same time (as the media),” said CFLPA executive director David Mackie. “That’s something we’ll be having a conversation with the commissioner shortly.”
CFL players are banned from gambling on league games, betting by proxy, or providing insider information that could be used to wager on games or props. Unlike NFL players, they are allowed to bet on other sports regardless of the location or timing.
The NFL has suspended a number of players for gambling-related infractions in recent years, most notably receiver Calvin Ridley in 2022. Other leagues have also been affected, with the NHL suspending Ottawa Senators centre Shane Pinto for 41 games in 2023. Just last month, the NBA was embroiled in scandal after the FBI arrested Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier as part of an illegal gambling investigation.
Montreal Alouettes’ defensive lineman Shawn Lemon, who could play in the 112th Grey Cup on Sunday, is the only player in CFL history to be suspended for a gambling violation. He was issued an indefinite suspension in April 2024 after it was found that he bet on several games in 2021 while a member of the Calgary Stampeders, including one in which he played. The 37-year-old was reinstated in July, one year after his appeal process ended.
It has been speculated that CFL players could be more susceptible to illicit betting or match-fixing due to their comparatively low salaries. Johnston stressed that constant vigilance is a priority for the league and that they have made the rules clear through mandated training courses that occur during the season.
“Integrity is first and foremost, and it starts with our match manipulation policy. It’s mandatory education, not just for players, but for coaches, presidents, owners, and staff. Everybody goes through our match manipulation policy, and it does a great job at education,” the commissioner stated.
“It is a priority. It starts with education, and then monitoring, so it’s proactive, real-time monitoring, and reactive. At the same time, we are going to follow very closely what’s happening around the world in this area.”
Genius Sports, the CFL’s oft-maligned data and technology partner, is the first line of defence to flag problem betting, utilizing an algorithm to flag problematic bets. Sportsbooks also do their own data analysis to identify potential match manipulation, though the amount of that data that’s shared with sports leagues varies significantly based on the operator and the local regulations.
Additionally, the CFL has provided an independent, anonymous hotline for players or staff to report suspicious gambling activity.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders (13-6) and Montreal Alouettes (12-8) will meet in the 112th Grey Cup at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. EST. The Riders are currently favoured by 3.5 points.
The weather forecast in Winnipeg calls for a high of two degrees with a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN, CTV, and RDS in Canada, CBS Sports Network in the United States, and CFL+ internationally.
