Sportradar Partners with CHL for Integrity Services

Sportradar has established a multi-year integrity partnership with the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), which consists of the Western Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League, and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Under this agreement, Sportradar Integrity Services will monitor these leagues through its Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS). This collaboration enhances Sportradar's existing relationships with nine ice hockey organizations worldwide, further solidifying its role in North American sports leagues. "By engaging Sportradar, a leader in providing integrity services, the CHL is putting itself in a strong position to protect the integrity of their competitions as well as educate and inform all their key stakeholders about potential risks within a sports betting environment," noted Andy Cunningham, director of global partnerships for Sportradar Integrity Services. The UFDS will be accompanied by an integrity audit, with Sportradar's Intelligence and Investigation team available to support investigations related to integrity threats. This initiative follows the recent strengthening of sports betting regulations in Canada, which now require CHL teams, staff, stakeholders, and junior players to undergo education concerning integrity through an e-learning tutorial program that will be offered in multiple languages. These new regulations emerged after Canada legalized single-event sports betting in August last year, following the enactment of Bill C-218 in July. Sportradar's bet monitoring system has been independently verified by experts in the field and aligns with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation's commitment to responsible gambling. Dan MacKenzie, president of the Canadian Hockey League, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "We are excited to sign this agreement with Sportradar Integrity Services. The provision of their bet monitoring and education services will only further strengthen our current integrity measures. The CHL is fully committed to protecting all of our league-wide stakeholders from the threat of match-fixing, and Sportradar’s e-learning tutorial will be integral to ensure they are fully equipped with the necessary knowledge and understanding of how best to recognise and react to integrity threats." This agreement follows a similar deal Sportradar Integrity Services made with the International Handball Association last year.