SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Publishing its quarterly report for Q3, the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has noted a ‘significant downturn in alerts’ of suspicious betting activity to the relevant authorities.
The IBIA has recorded 50 cases of suspicious betting during Q3, with tennis and football making up 90% of the alerts.
Khalid Ali, Secretary General of the International Betting Integrity Association, stated: “The year to date has seen a significant downturn in alerts, notably on tennis. We welcome the ongoing efforts of the sport to work closely with us and to identify and impose sanctions on corrupt players.
“The scope of the association’s unique and global leading monitoring system has been boosted by four new members during 2019, with discussions ongoing with a number of other companies interested in investing in integrity and protecting their businesses from corruption.”
The 50 alerts reported during Q3 covered six sports, spanning five different continents. 42% of the alerts originated from Europe, while 36% were made in Asia, as both continents maintained their positions as the primary location of sporting events on which alerts were generated during that period.
The number of alerts remains similar to those reported in Q2 2019, which recorded 51 alerts, however it marks a reduction of 30% on the 72 alerts in Q3 2018.
The annual total to date of 138 cases represents a 25% drop on the 184 cases at the same point in 2018 and is primarily a result of the fall in tennis alerts, predominantly caused by a reduction in alerts at the ITF Tour level.
During 2019 IBIA, formerly known as ESSA, has seen a number of new members join the association including Bet on Alfa, Bethard Group and Virgin Bet.
