However, despite the surge of nearly a fifth from 2023’s revised total of 187 suspicious betting alerts, the IBIA noted the figure remained 11% below the annual average of 245 observed between 2020 and 2023.
As was the case in 2023, football (75 cases) and tennis (58 cases) again led the way for the sports with the most notifications, with both attracting more alerts than in 2023. They combined for 61% of all notifications, down from 64% in 2023.
The IBIA’s alerts system contributed to 33 matches being deemed corrupted, with the association involved in the sanctioning of 17 clubs, players and officials for betting violations.
The association’s membership represents over 70 companies with an annual global betting turnover of $300 billion (£240 billion/€287.7 billion), covering 50% of all regulated commercial online betting activity.
Khalid Ali, IBIA CEO, says the association will continue to collaborate with its members to clamp down on match-fixing.
“As with all potentially corrupt activity, IBIA is analysing the data and working with its members and global integrity network to implement targeted countermeasures,” Ali explained.
“IBIA’s growing membership are resolute in their commitment to identifying, disrupting, and preventing corrupt sports betting activity and to working with stakeholders.”
IBIA reports improvements in Europe
The biggest improvement in the IBIA’s latest report was Europe, with the continent’s total suspicious betting notifications falling from 113 alerts in 2023 to 80 last year.
In 2024 Europe’s share of alerts dropped to 37%, from 60% in 2023, although Ali warned it was too soon to determine whether this downward turn will prove to be an ongoing trend.
The Czech Republic led the way for suspicious betting alerts with 19, surpassing the UK as the country with the most notifications. Notably, the UK’s total dropped significantly from 31 in 2023 to just four in 2024.
Turkey, meanwhile, ranked second for suspicious alerts with 11.
At the same time, alerts in Asia more than doubled from 17 to 40, while Africa’s total rose from 16 to 28. The IBIA says it will closely observe these trends to confirm whether they are anomalies or patterns that require intervention.
Despite a football match-fixing storm in 2024, Brazil’s number of notifications fell to seven in 2024 from its 2023 figure of 11.
Suspicious betting alerts by sport
The IBIA’s 2024 report highlighted some interesting trends suggesting some sports have been targeted by match-fixers in 2024.
Table tennis again ranked third for suspicious alerts with 36, although the vast majority (33) of those occurred in Q2 (12) and Q4 (21).
Esports notifications rocketed from seven to 32, up 357% year-on-year. Basketball, meanwhile, doubled from five to 10, with nine of those relating to games in Q1.
Darts didn’t record a single notification after ranking third in 2023 with 17, while boxing, bowls and cricket all fell to one alert after they each received three the year prior.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/sustainable-gambling/sports-integrity/ibia-report-suspicious-betting-alerts-2024/
