According to a report issued Wednesday by the International Betting Integrity Association, there were 50 incidents of suspicious betting activity reported to relevant authorities during the second quarter of 2023. That’s a 4% increase from the first quarter of 2023, but a year-over-decline of 44%.
The information was identified by IBIA members, including 125 sports betting brands that take in $137 billion in betting turnover annually.
”The second quarter of the year saw a welcome downward trend with 44% less suspicious alerts compared to Q2 2022, and a near 30% decline in the first half of 2023 when considered against 2022,” said IBIA CEO Khalid Ali in a statement. “Much of that decline is a result of collaborative cross-sector efforts headed by the International Tennis Integrity Agency to eradicate match-fixing in tennis, the success of which was highlighted by the prison sentence recently handed out by a Belgian court. That judgment sends a clear and unequivocal message to corrupters that they will be caught, and harsh sanctions imposed.”
The 50 incidents during the second quarter happened in 8 sports across 18 countries. Soccer had the most alerts with 19, a 27% increase from 2023’s first quarter, but a year-over-year decrease of 41%. There were 12 alerts in tennis during the quarter, a 60% decrease from the same time period in 2022.
The United Kingdom reported the most alerts, 9, during the quarter, across four sports: five for darts, two for soccer, and one each for bowls and boxing.
A Belgian court sentenced 28 individuals convicted of match-fixing in tennis, with the ringleader of a gang receiving a five-year prison sentence and a fine of €8,000.
“The outcome is very welcome and IBIA congratulates the International Tennis Integrity Association on its collaborative partnership working with key stakeholders and its continued resolve to identify and punish illicit activity,” Ali said. “IBIA’s responsible regulated betting operators remain committed to working closely with sports to weed out corruption.”
