In Canada, betting operators hit match-fixing head-on with new education fund for athletes

May 31, 2023 9:18 PM
Photo: Shutterstock
  • Mark Keast, CDC Gaming Reports
May 31, 2023 9:18 PM
  • Mark Keast, CDC Gaming Reports

Match-fixing and fraud in sports continue to present significant challenges globally, and the exact extent of the problem is difficult to quantify due to the secretive nature of those who participate.

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Typically, it involves people — players, coaches, managers — who can influence the outcome of the game, with financial gain the big incentive, driven by illegal betting. The issue has spanned a range of sports around the world, from tennis and basketball to boxing, cricket, and soccer.

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and its member operators bet365, Betway, and FanDuel announced Wednesday that they’re tackling the problem head-on, in Canada anyway, with the establishment of a nationwide athlete education program.

The IBIA and its member operators will invest at least $300,000 over three years in the program, aimed at addressing potential threats to athletes, sports, and the regulated market from sports-betting-related match-fixing and fraud. The program will be rolled out over the second half of this year and will include face-to-face training with athletes, an anonymous reporting app, an e-learning portal, and awareness-raising materials.

“Protecting the integrity of sport means protecting the integrity of athletes,” said Jean-Francois Reymond, IBIA’s education ambassador, during the keynote speech at today’s Symposium on Competition Manipulation and Gambling in Sport taking place in Toronto. “Most often through a lack of awareness, it is the athletes who are risking their careers and livelihoods. Our objective is to build a best-in-class program for all athletes that serves to protect the integrity of Canadian sport and the careers of Canada’s athletes.”

Representatives from the CFL, NFL, NBA, NHL, CPL, Hockey Canada, national and provincial governments, and licensing and regulatory authorities were at today’s event.

“Maintaining the integrity of sport is essential to players’ safety and enjoyment — the pillars of what we do at FanDuel,” said FanDuel General Manager Dale Hooper. “As a newly regulated market, we’re committed to supporting educational programs in Ontario that will help increase understanding and protections for athletes, bettors, and beyond.”

The IBIA is a not-for-profit association and is the largest operator-run betting-integrity-monitoring body in the world. It represents the majority of the betting operators licensed in Ontario, including the three operators contributing to the education fund.