Social responsibility Archives

June 23, 2023

France’s LFP sanctions footballers for breaching betting ban

Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), the governing body for football in France, has issued sanctions to 35 players for breaching a ban on sports betting.

The LFP’s disciplinary committee announced the sanctions after the players were ruled to have violated LFP and French Football Federation (FFF) regulations during the 2021-22 season.

Both the LFP and FFF have in place a blanket ban on professional players betting on football. The ban applies to French players and footballers from overseas playing their club football in France.

This was the fourteenth occasion sanctions were issued since the LFP began working with national gambling regulator l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) in the 2013-14 season. LFP did not disclose each individual breach of regulations.

Suspensions and fines

Among the highest profile names on the list of sanctioned footballers was Wahbi Khazri, a Tunisian international who players for Montpellier in Ligue 1. Khazri was ordered to pay a fine of €3,000 (£2,5..

June 23, 2023

Genius Sports expands integrity deal with German FA

Genius Sports has agreed to expand its integrity partnership with the German Football Association (DFB).

Under the deal, Genius Sports will continue to work with the DFB to combat threats of match-fixing and betting-related corruption.

This will include providing the DFB with its Bet Monitoring System, analysing global odds movements from over 7,500 games a year. The DFB will also continue to receive monitoring and analysis across all levels of German football.

Genius Sports will also use its Intelligence platform, provided in partnership with Clue, to strengthen protection against betting-related corruption.

The platform will offer the DFB a centralised vault of integrity reports, which Genius Sports said would support investigations and the analysis and identification of potential risk areas.

Protecting integrity

“To protect competition integrity in football, it is important for us to work with professional service providers,” DFB integrity officer Eva Immerheiser said.

“In..

June 22, 2023

ITIA bans two tennis players for life over betting offences

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has issued life bans to Nastja Kolar and Alexandra Riley for multiple breaches of its Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP).

Slovenia’s Kolar and Riley from the US committed 25 and 15 offences respectively between 2015 and 2020. Both players were provisionally suspended in March pending a decision on sanctions.

Nastja Kolar’s offences

Kolar manipulated six matches in which she played, and conspired with Riley to do the same in four matches against one another. Her career World Tennis Association (WTA) ranking peaked inside the top 200 players, for singles and doubles.

The ITAI found her guilty of betting on tennis, facilitating betting by sharing information from the courts (courtsiding), and failing to report offences by Riley. In addition to her ban, Kolar will pay a fine of $175,000 (£137,176/€159,322), close to the maximum penalty of $250,000.

Alexandra Riley’s breaches

Meanwhile, Riley was found to have manipulated aspects..

June 19, 2023

Romanian tennis player banned over anti-corruption breaches

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has banned Romania’s Petru-Alexandru Luncanu for five years over a series of anti-corruption breaches.

Luncanu, who reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of 304 in 2009, was found to have breached the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP) on multiple occasions.

These included contriving the outcome or any other aspect of several matches and directly or indirectly facilitating tennis wagering.

independent anti-corruption hearing officer (AHO) Raj Parker upheld five of seven charges brought by the ITIA. These charges were for match-fixing in 2017 and 2021. An additional charge of failing to co-operate fully with the ITIA’s investigation in 2022 was also upheld.

Luncanu denied all charges. However, the ruling means he cannot coach at or attend any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of tennis until 8 June 2028. He was also fined $40,000 (£31,208/€36,588).

TACP breaches

Specific breaches of the TACP incl..

June 9, 2023

US Integrity partners Grid to develop esports monitoring solution

Sports betting integrity monitor US Integrity has partnered with game data platform Grid to develop a new solution for the esports market.

Under the arrangement, US Integrity will use official in-game data from Grid’s data platform to expand its services portfolio to esports.

This will include monitoring integrity, suspicious or fraudulent activity at esports events, as well as the development of interactive dashboards and educational resources.

In addition, Grid will provide US Integrity with consultancy and support from its in-house esports integrity team.

Read the full story on iGB North America

June 7, 2023

Sky Bet and EFL agree five-year partnership extension

The English Football League (EFL) and Sky Bet have agreed to a record five-year partnership extension, wherein Sky Bet will remain as the League's title partner until the end of the 2028-29 season.

The extension builds on a decade-long partnership. It includes a new rights fee from Sky Bet, which is up by 50%. The aim is for this to produce “significant revenues for EFL clubs” and support the League’s goal to make all clubs “financial sustainable”.

In addition, Sky Bet will invest £1m per season and £6m in total into an EFL-held Community Fund, which will be distributed into communities at EFL club locations throughout England and Wales.

The funding will be used to deliver initiatives operated by the EFL Trust and the network of club community organisations.

Trevor Birch, EFL chief executive, said that the increased funding enforces the EFL and Sky Bet’s focus on community investment.

“We have consistently seen our partnership evolve to move with the times and, with community..

June 7, 2023

IBIA signs betting integrity deal with Portuguese regulator

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and the Portuguese Online Betting and Gambling Association (APAJO) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Under the agreement, the IBIA and APAJO will work together on issues related to betting and sports integrity, as well as a safe and sustainable online sports betting environment.

The two associations will discuss areas of cooperation and potential shared projects, with the aim of pooling their expertise on a range of activities.

“APAJO is strongly invested in building and maintaining the most beneficial environment for Portuguese consumers and operators and sports integrity is definitively a very important part of this overarching goal,” APAJO executive committee president Ricardo Domingues said.

“We are pleased to enter into this agreement with IBIA, whose extensive work and knowledge in this domain will surely be extremely valuable. We’ll look forward to making our own contribution at the international lev..

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..

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Tag: Social responsibility