The 2026 ICE Conference was hosted in January at a large convention center in Catalonia, a few miles from Camp Nou, the iconic stadium of FC Barcelona, one of soccer's premier clubs. This upcoming World Cup will mark the tournament's return to the U.S. for the first time in 30 years and the first occurrence on American soil since the landmark 2018 PASPA decision. As the event approaches the 100-day mark, various stakeholders, including regulators, integrity officials, and law enforcement, are coordinating efforts to safeguard the tournament from threats posed by illegal betting syndicates. During the recent ICE conference, members of the Spanish National Police, a key authority in monitoring integrity, highlighted these threats.
With the World Cup expanding to 48 teams for the first time, an additional 40 matches will be added to the six-week tournament. This increase, coupled with new bettors from first-time teams, is expected to raise the volume of wagering. However, significant concerns regarding integrity have also surfaced surrounding this World Cup, the first on U.S. soil since 1994.
Three West Coast sites within a short flight from Las Vegas were identified as areas of concern, particularly given a notable case during the 2014 World Cup. Back then, a bookmaker was accused by the U.S. Justice Department of running an illegal wire room out of Caesars Palace, processing around $400 million in bets during the tournament.
While match manipulation in soccer is generally less widespread in North America than in other regions, incidents do occur. This was exemplified by the 2023 suspension of former Colorado Rapids midfielder Max Alves, who was allegedly tied to a Brazilian match-fixing operation. Reports from Brazilian newspaper O Globo indicated that Alves received roughly $9,000 to receive a yellow card in an MLS game.
On the final day of the ICE conference, a panel addressed the ambitious initiatives to combat illegal gambling risks during the World Cup. Silvia Paleari, director of public affairs at the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), discussed the support available for operators in emerging regions potentially susceptible to integrity breaches. Paleari emphasized that regulated sports betting cannot exist without integrity.
Joining her, Graciela Garay, who holds the position of director of ethics, compliance, and integrity at CONMEBOL, highlighted the positive cooperation among prosecutors, sports leagues, operators, and law enforcement in addressing match-fixing globally. "Definitely, we’re developing preventive actions, education, workshops, and follow-up issues. CONMEBOL is committed to transparency in fighting match-fixing," Garay stated in an interview after the panel.
Garay expressed confidence that the risk of match-fixing during high-profile events like the World Cup is lower than in less visible lower division matches. She mentioned a monitoring group will conduct a risk analysis ahead of the tournament, convening for a final review in May, just weeks before the event begins.
In comparison to Europe, where integrity concerns in soccer have become more frequent, incidents in the U.S. remain relatively rare. Recently, the English Football Association cleared former West Ham player Lucas Paqueta of spot-fixing but found him guilty of failing to comply with an extensive gambling investigation—claims he denied.
Over the last six months, integrity issues have increased in the U.S., with federal prosecutors indicting athletes from the NBA, college basketball, and MLB in various cases. In a related development, MLS signed a partnership with Polymarket, naming it the official prediction market of the league. Critics argue the new asset class may be susceptible to integrity exploitation due to insufficient safeguards.
In the U.S., around 90 integrity officials gathered in Miami for a global betting integrity seminar last month. This event represented the culmination of the FIFA Global Integrity Programme before the World Cup kicks off in June. Officials from prominent law enforcement groups like the FBI, Interpol, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and Europol participated in the seminar.
On Capitol Hill, Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee referenced a UNODC study during a 2024 sports betting hearing. She cited estimates indicating that roughly $140 billion is laundered each year through illegal and unregulated sports betting, urging the Justice Department to explore the connections between illegal betting and organized crime as the World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics approach.
During last month’s seminar, Ronan O’Laire from the UNODC highlighted potential pitfalls that arise when interagency collaboration falters. "Integrity fails when systems operate in isolation; it succeeds when sports league bodies, police, and prosecutors align early," O’Laire noted on LinkedIn.
