Number of suspicious betting alerts drop in the first quarter for IBIA
Author:
Muhammad Gregory
The global voice on integrity for the licensed betting industry, the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), recorded a decrease in alerts for suspicious betting in this year’s first quarter. A total of 40 alerts were recorded between January 2023 and March 2023. The number is 20 percent lower than the number of suspicious betting alerts recorded in Q1 last year. In the preceding quarter, a total of 48 alerts were recorded. The drop in number showcases the contribution of several operators and the IBIA to battle match-fixing, suspicious betting, and other illicit activities that threaten the integrity of the betting segment.
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) recorded a decrease in alerts for suspicious betting in this year’s first quarter.
©Alois Komenda/Unsplash
Formerly known as Sports Betting Integrity (ESSA), the IBIA is a non-profit entity comprising numerous renowned sports betting operators that only offer services in regulated gambling jurisdictions under a valid gambling license. The process of becoming a member of the IBIA is not easy as it includes a process in which the past and present operations of all applicants are checked thoroughly. After this rigorous process, if operators qualify to become members of the IBIA, they must follow the entity’s own code of conduct to retain their seat on the member’s panel. The code includes guidelines and measures that enable operators to ensure the protection of their own integrity along with the integrity of the regulated jurisdiction it operates in. At present, there are 80 members in IBIA, including names like Bet365, Betsson, Entain, LeoVegans, Unibet, and more. With all these brands, the IBIA monitors global gambling markets and raises concerns whenever suspicious or illicit activities are detected.
Along with the betting operators that are members, the IBIA plays a pivotal role in investigating, prosecuting, and sanctioning individuals or entities involved in match-fixing activities around the world. Ensuring player safety is also an essential part of the IBIA’s code, and that is done via their high-level global discussions that enlighten legitimate operators about policies and measures that could be implemented to match the highest standards while operating. In the past, the non-profit entity has not hesitated to criticize a few betting proposals and regulations in ranked Canada 19th. That was mainly due to the sports betting monopoly in the country back then.
Safeguarding betting integrity, advocating informed policies, and contributing to research and education of operators and players are the three primary sectors IBIA focuses on. The entity relies on technology to keep up with modern-day standards. The Monitoring and Alert Program of the IBIA has proven to be an effective anti-corruption tool that has helped the entity and operators associated with it to detect all kinds of suspicious betting activity in regulated jurisdictions of the world. Using this tool, entities can track transactions of individuals that are suspects for illicit activities and also monitor the changes in odds. Besides providing legitimate betting operators with the entity’s membership, the IBIA also has tie-ups with renowned sports bodies like FIFA, UEFA, ITIA, and more. These bodies provide the IBIA with the latest and most reliable data on their respective competitions and tournaments. This data also helps in zeroing in on suspicious activities that have been detected.
IBIA publishes the first quarterly integrity report of the year
To maintain transparency on a global level, the IBIA regularly publishes quarterly integrity reports that analyze the number of suspicious betting activities detected in various countries around the globe. The activity is bifurcated further with respect to the sporting activity it was associated with. In the latest quarterly integrity report, the IBIA revealed that 40 alerts were received between January and March this year. However, this number is lower than the count recorded in the preceding quarter. In the last three months of 2022, 50 alerts were recorded. Meanwhile, 48 suspicious betting activities were detected worldwide in the first quarter of last year.
Of the 40 alerts detected in the latest quarterly integrity report, 24 came from the European continent. Six were from Asia, while four originated in Africa. Only a couple of suspicious bets were placed in North America, and the same count was recorded in Latin America. Football was the leading sport where the most suspicious betting activity was detected, while Tennis was in a close second. 15 alerts were related to football, and 12 suspicious bets were placed on tennis. Suspicious alerts from table tennis were limited to four, while cricket, basketball, and esports were responsible for two suspicious wagers each. One suspicious bet was placed on volleyball, boxing, and snooker.
Europe consistently responsible for the majority of the alerts
60 percent of the total suspicious bet alerts came from European countries in the first quarter of this year. However, this is not the first time Europe has been at the top of the charts. In 2022, 268 suspicious alerts were detected by the IBIA. 47 percent of the total alerts came from European countries. The majority of the suspicious bets placed in Europe involved Tennis. Of the 126 alerts emerging from Europe, ten came from Italy, and six were from France. Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, and Spain were responsible for five alerts each. Three suspicious bets were reported in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro each, while the remaining came from Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Lituania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Surprisingly, the suspicious bet count for football was below 20. Three suspicious bet alerts came from Romania, which was the most in that category. Almost 30 suspicious bets were placed on table tennis matches from European countries. Poland led the charts with 11 alerts, followed by Germany in second with seven alerts. Hungary and Russia saw four alerts, while Spain recorded two and Czechia had one. The 268 suspicious bet alerts involved 14 sports and 61 different countries. Right behind Europe on the chart was the continent of Asia, responsible for 51 suspicious bets. More than 30 suspicious bets were placed on football, ten of which were placed in India.
