Major new study reveals the optimum approach to betting regulation

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has published a first of its kind study assessing the regulation of betting in 20 jurisdictions across six continents and covering a range of licensing models. The study has been conducted by leading global gambling data and intelligence company H2 Gambling Capital, which was commissioned to evaluate the strengths and weakness of various regulatory frameworks for betting around the world. Consideration was also given to the effectiveness of betting product restrictions, along with the cost of match-fixing to the regulated betting sector globally. The resulting report includes:

• A jurisdictional ranking using five core assessment criteria: Great Britain highest, India lowest
• An optimum betting market solution in the form of ten regulatory pillars
• An evidence-based assessment of the availability of betting products and the cost of match-fixing
• Key findings generated from operator data covering $137bn (€115bn) of betting turnover
• Consideration of the integrity risk: no corruption issues identified in 99.96% of markets
• A data-led evaluation revealing $25m pa cost from match-fixing to the regulated sector

The study involved detailed fiscal and integrity data from many of the world’s leading regulated betting operators representing nearly 50% of all commercial online betting globally. Those operators feed into the largest customer account-based integrity system in the world through IBIA. Gambling trade associations the BGC, BOS, EGBA, Jdigital and NOGA were also involved as project partners in the study.

David Henwood, Director of H2, said: “Our assessment of the various regulatory models in operation around the world has determined the key factors that are most likely to generate a successful well-regulated betting market: unlimited licensing, competitive GGR tax, wide product offering, integrity provisions and balanced advertising parameters. That position and our betting product and integrity evaluation is based on the most extensive and detailed collection of market data that has ever been assembled. The report’s findings are therefore unique and illuminating.”

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “The study and its contents can rightly be justified as unprecedented. H2 has conducted a detailed examination of product data covering $137bn in turnover, along with its own market data. The result is a report that provides a never seen before insight into global consumer demand, integrity risks and regulatory practices. In doing so, it reveals the core facets of a successful regulatory framework for betting. IBIA hopes that these evidenced-based findings will assist the important ongoing global betting and integrity debate.”

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.