Social responsibility Archives

May 3, 2023

IBIA received 40 suspicious alerts in Q1 2023

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) received 40 suspicious betting alerts across nine sports in the first quarter of 2023.

This was down by 16.6% compared to the alerts IBIA recorded in Q1 2022 and 20% from the previous quarter.

Sport-by-sport, football generated the highest number of alerts at 15, representing 37.5% of the total. Tennis was close behind with 12, representing 30% of the total. Combined, football and tennis made up 67.5% of the alerts in the first quarter.

Table tennis accounted for four of the alerts. Basketball and esports generated two alerts each, while volleyball, boxing and snooker each accounted for one alert.

By continent

A total of 24 alerts took place in Europe. Six took place in Asia, while four took place in Africa. North America and South America accounted for two alerts each.

Two esports alerts were not included in this breakdown as IBIA said it was unclear where the alerts took place.

IBIA noted a particular trend in Spain. Eight..

April 27, 2023

What’s covered in the Gambling Act white paper?

After years of delays and speculation, the most transformative review of gambling in the United Kingdom in 18 years has finally been published.

The publication of the Gambling Act review white paper signifies a landmark upheaval of how gambling will be regulated in the UK going forward, in an age of smartphones and 24/7 internet access.

To say the review has been much anticipated would be an understatement. Industry trade bodies, operator groups and industry critics alike have waited eagerly for the white paper’s publication.

It has been an eventful two years and four months since the UK government announced the review – one that has encompassed the resignations and appointments of two prime ministers, the declaration of a cost of living crisis and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

While the white paper document outlines much of what the industry expected, it contains a few unexpected additions – including the addition of a gambling ombudsman, to give customers one point of contact for..

April 13, 2023

BGC welcomes MP support for Grand National charity bet initiative

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) said more than 40 MPs will support this year’s edition of its Grand National charity bet initiative.

MPs from a number of parties will visit a local betting shop to place a BGC Charity Bet on the British showpiece racing event, which takes place on 15 April at Aintree Racecourse as part of the Grand National festival.

Each participating MP will be given £50 to bet on a horse, with all the winnings going to a charity of their choice. Should their bet not win, BGC members will make a £250 donation to the MP’s nominated charity.

MPs can visit a Paddy Power, William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral, Betfred or local independent betting shop in their constituency to place the charity bet ahead of the race this weekend.

Levelling Up minister Dehenna Davison, shadow DCMS minister Alex Davies-Jones, minister for Enterprise Kevin Hollinrake and COP26 president Alok Sharma are among the MPs that will take part in the initiative this year.

Shadow defence secretary..

March 9, 2023

MGA pens data deal with Badminton World Federation

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has announced it has signed a data-sharing agreement with the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Integrity Unit.

The deal will see the two organisations work to improve the monitoring of suspicious gambling activity in badminton.

MGA head of financial crime compliance Antonio Zerafa said he was “very pleased” to see BWF added to the list of sports governing bodies whom the regulator is already engaged with on a day-to-day basis.

“I am very pleased to see the Badminton World Federation added to the long list of sports governing bodies whom the Authority already assists on a practical level, and we look forward to working with the BWF’s Integrity Unit on any issues that may arise,” he said.

Thomas Lund, BWF secretary-general said that this partnership will support BWF in its mission of identifying possible instances of match-fixing, and will improve its capabilities in its investigations and anti-match fixing operations.

“This partnership helps the BW..

March 8, 2023

New Brazil integrity body forms in wake of scandals

A consortium of organisations with a stake in Brazilian sports betting have announced the formation of a new non-profit Brazilian sports integrity body, the Associação Brasileira de Defesa da Integridade do Esporte (ABRADIE).

The establishment of the new body follows a number of recent match-fixing scandals in the Portuguese-speaking country, which have led to a national conversation regarding its betting laws.

Involved in the creation of the association are Genius Sports, Entain, daily fantasy sports operator Rei Do Pitaco, as well as law firms Bichara e Motta and Maia Yoshiyasu Advogados, who released a joint statement following the group’s formation.

Luiz Felipe Maia from the Maia Yoshiyasu firm argued that the association was being formed at a “critical time,” due to the pressures of the growing Brazilian market and the ongoing question of regulation.

ABRADIE

ABRADIE states that it will operate as a collaborative group that will partner with regulators, federal and state la..

February 1, 2023

IBIA reports 268 suspicious betting alerts in 2022

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) announced that it reported 268 suspicious sports betting alerts in 2022 – a 14% year-on-year increase.

This compares with an average of 230 alerts announced between 2019 and 2021.

The association stated this increase can be largely put down to a widening of its monitoring network due to membership growth.

During the year, the IBIA added 16 new members to its ranks, meaning that 45 businesses representing 125 betting brands now count themselves as members.

“The addition of 16 new members in 2022 has undoubtedly strengthened our monitoring and alert network and our ambition is to see all responsible regulated sports betting operators collaborating through IBIA,” said Khalid Ali, CEO of the IBIA. “Proactive and collaborative action by our sector is an essential component in the fight against match-fixing, and to enhancing the overall reputation of the sector in general.”

Divided by quarter, there were 48 alerts in Q1, rising to ..

January 11, 2023

Elys Game Technology joins US Integrity

Global interactive gaming and sports betting technology company Elys Game Technology has partnered up with US Integrity (USI) as it expands in North America.

USI will provide event monitoring, market intelligence and fraud prevention for all of Elys’ growing US facing operations, including Nevada-based USBookmaking, which it acquired in 2021.

In the US, Elys’ focus is to provide end-to-end sportsbook services to business operators across the regulated market. The news of this partnership follows the recent announcement that Elys secured a licence in Ohio’s newly legal sports betting market.

USI’s integrity monitoring services from its proprietary dashboard to Elys Game Technology conducts analysis across dozens of data sets to identify any possible irregular sports wagering-related patterns.

Michele Ciavarella, executive chairman of Elys, said the partnership will help the business detect suspicious betting.

“We are very pleased to be engaged with US Integrity as we prepare to ..

November 29, 2022

IBIA signs up Bet99 as latest member

Canadian online sports betting and casino platform Bet99 has become the latest gambling business to join the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).

Bet99 will now feed into the IBIA’s global betting integrity monitoring and alert network, working alongside a host of licensed operators from around the world.

Ontario approval

The announcement comes shortly after Bet99 secured approval from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and iGaming Ontario to offer online gambling services in the Canadian province.

Membership of an integrity body such as IBIA is a requirement for Ontario licence-holders.

“Joining IBIA, the world’s leading independent integrity monitor, is critical to our sportsbook strategy, in which trust, integrity and protection are prioritised for our Canadian customers,” Bet99’s head of sportsbook André Bewerungen said.

“We are delighted to combine forces with IBIA to combat foul play in sports, as well as betting-related corruption and manipulation..

November 18, 2022

Global regulators release joint World Cup statement

Regulators from France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Great Britain have released a joint statement before the World Cup begins on 20 November, reminding operators to keep responsible gambling and player protection in mind as the tournament runs.

The regulators met in Paris, France on 15 November. L’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), the gambling regulator for France, said that the meeting saw a number of key issues being discussed that would affect betting during the World Cup.

“This meeting was an opportunity to address several topics, including the fight against illegal offers and the protection of players and advertising during the World Cup,” read the statement.

“On the latter topic, regulators agreed to commit to working together to closely monitor gambling operators’ compliance with advertising, betting integrity and consumer protection regulations during the World Cup.”

Earlier this month, a number of operators and advertisers signed four charters in France, which committed ..

November 17, 2022

English FA charges Brentford star Toney over 232 betting breaches

The English Football Association (FA) has charged Ivan Toney, who plays for English Premier League football club Brentford, with misconduct after ruling that he breached its strict betting regulations.

Toney last week admitted he was assisting the FA with an investigation amid newspaper reports he bet on football matches earlier in his career.

The Daily Mail said the FA has been investigating Toney for seven months over allegations he was betting on games during his time playing in the lower leagues. It is not thought Toney ever placed bets on the team he was playing for at the time to lose.

The FA has now confirmed Toney was charged after its investigation uncovered that he had breached betting rules 232 times between 25 February 2017 and 23 January 2021.

The specific breach was in relation to FA Betting Rule E8, which states any player, match official or coach must not bet, either directly or indirectly, on any matters related to football anywhere in the world.

Though the FA did..

November 14, 2022

DSWV partners IBIA to protect sporting integrity

The German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) and the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in an effort to protect sports integrity.

Under the arrangement, the DSWV and IBIA will work in partnership and coordinate their activities on betting and related integrity issues in Germany.

The two associations will bring together their expertise on activities aimed at promoting a viable regulated sports betting market in the country that has high consumer channelling and related consumer, sports and operator integrity protection measures.

“The partnership between the DSWV and IBIA is another welcome step forward for the German sports betting industry,” DSWV president Mathias Dahms said. “With its many years of international experience and expertise in the field of sports integrity, the IBIA will support us in strengthening the regulated market and protecting it from manipulation.

“We therefore look forward to many joint projects..

November 8, 2022

Gambling Commission lifts Lebom suspension after Gamstop integration

The Gambling Commission (GC) has lifted football prediction and betting operator Lebom Limited’s licence suspension after the company integrated with self-exclusion scheme Gamstop.

Lebom had its licence suspended on 3 November after failing to integrate with Gamstop’s self-exclusion platform. Since March 2020, It has been a mandatory requirement for operators to integrate with the service and to refuse custom to registered participants.

“Gamstop provides a crucial service for people who feel they are suffering gambling harm,” said Gambling Commission executive director of operations Kay Roberts. “It is simply unacceptable for any online operator to fail to integrate with the scheme.”

Following Lebom’s failure to register with Gamstop, the the Gambling Commission undertook a review of the business’ licence under section 116 of the 2005 Gambling Act. While it is unclear whether this process has completed, the lifting of the suspension is certainly a step forward for the business as it..

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Tag: Social responsibility