SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Genius Sports has penned a new agreement with the XFL to develop a comprehensive integrity programme with the aim of protecting itself against the threats of improper and illegal betting-related conduct.
The new programme will allow the American football league to help protect fans, players and officials from potential match-fixing.
Steven Burton, Managing Director of Genius Sports, added: “The XFL has shown an exemplary commitment to protecting the integrity of its games. We are proud to partner with such a dynamic league and look forward to helping the XFL benefit from increased fan avidity by engaging with the nascent US sports betting industry.”
Genius Sports has already secured a number of integrity partnerships with sporting bodies such as the PGA Tour and the English Premier League.
The partnership will see Genius Sports provide alerts and analysis of all significant odds movements, as well as 24/7 monitoring of all pre-game and live betting markets thus giving the XFL visibility into wagering on its games.
It will also help the XFL understand the projected level of betting on its games, establish a process for reporting potential problems, and, if needed, assist in investigations.
Jeffrey Pollack, President and COO of the XFL, stated: “Sports betting is growing rapidly in the U.S. and we are gearing up to be a good citizen and thoughtful participant in the marketplace. Our alliance with Genius Sports is an important first step and foundational element.”
Under the terms of the partnership, a new customised e-Learning portal will also be launched which will explain the league’s regulations, the obligations to report any potential rule breaches and the importance of integrity to the league’s future growth will also be provided to XFL players, coaches, officials, team and league executives.
Collaboration on the Integrity Program has already begun and it is expected that it will be fully set in place by the start of the XFL season on 8 February.
