IBIA reports 61 cases of suspicious betting in Q1 2020

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) reported 61 cases of suspicious betting to the relevant authorities during the first quarter (Q1) of 2020. The total is 36% higher than the 45 cases in Q4 2019 and 65% higher than the 37 alerts reported in Q1 2019. IBIA members saw an increase in suspicious betting activity in the week before the widespread suspension of sport in mid-March.

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “The industry’s main focus is quite understandably on product availability and business viability in a particularly challenging period for the sector globally. That said, it is important to note that the vulnerability of sports and betting to corruption remains an ever-present danger to operator finances. IBIA saw an increase in suspicious betting activity in the week leading to the global sports shutdown highlighting the opportunism of corrupters.

“Whilst there has since been a relative lull, we fully expect the business threat to rise as sport is restored and betting product catalogues return to a level of normality. Indeed, it is clear that corrupters are still operating and seeking to exploit the current situation. IBIA will continue to utilise its unique global monitoring platform to protect its members and sports from fraud during this difficult time; product integrity and consumer trust will be key to the sector’s recovery.”

Other key data for Q1 2020:

• 44 – percentage of Q1 alerts on sporting events played in Europe (30% in Asia, 11% in Africa, 10% in South America and 5% in North America)
• 31 – number of alerts reported on tennis (18 cases for football, 5 for basketball, 4 for table tennis and one each in volleyball, cricket and boxing)
• 15 – number of alerts reported in the week before the widespread suspension of sport
• 11 – Russia ranking the highest country for alerts reported
• 7 – alerts reported since the widespread suspension of sport in mid-March

The International Betting Integrity Association is the leading global voice on integrity for the licensed betting industry. It is run by operators for operators, protecting its members from corruption through collective action. Its monitoring and alert platform is a highly effective anti-corruption tool that detects and reports suspicious activity on its members’ betting markets. The association has longstanding information sharing partnerships with leading sports and gambling regulators to utilise its data and prosecute corruption. It represents the sector at high-level policy discussion forums such as the IOC, UN, Council of Europe and European Commission.

The association publishes quarterly reports covering the integrity alerts reported through its monitoring and alert platform which can be viewed here. IBIA can be contacted at [email protected].