Khalid Ali, the CEO of the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), discusses the similarities and challenges of match-fixing in Africa. The IBIA indicates that the same vulnerabilities—such as poor governance and inadequate integrity education—exist globally, though the speed of Africa's regulated betting market development is noteworthy. The IBIA's 2025 Sports Betting Integrity Report estimates that Africa's gross gambling revenue will expand from $3.5 billion in 2021 to $19.4 billion by 2030, with most growth attributed to online betting, expected to reach $16.4 billion by then, largely generated onshore.
Ali sees this trajectory as a dual opportunity and challenge. He emphasizes that the rise of digital, account-based betting allows licensed operators to gather crucial intelligence to spot suspicious activities before they escalate. Notably, football remains the most popular betting sport, with around 90% of IBIA's global football alerts linked to accounts outside the host jurisdiction of the events.
He warns against misinterpreting the rising number of alerts. From 2021 to 2025, the IBIA reported 117 alerts connected to African sporting events, including 31 in 2025 when Africa represented about 10% of global alerts. In the first half of 2026, there were an additional 17 alerts, which Ali interprets as stability rather than a spike in match-fixing incidents. Factors influencing these numbers include increased betting activity, more African operators joining international integrity networks, and improved monitoring capabilities that better detect suspicious betting patterns.
Ali stresses that alerts should be treated as intelligence for further investigation rather than proof of wrongdoing. He believes increased alert numbers indicate more effective integrity systems, asserting that the critical measure of success is the timely identification and investigation of suspicious activity.
Between 2021 and 2025, football and tennis constituted the majority of Africa-related alerts. Ali clarifies that this concentration reflects where the monitoring is most effective rather than necessarily pinpointing where manipulation occurs. He points out that many of the flagged matches involve betting from outside the countries where the events take place, highlighting the importance of global monitoring in identifying cross-border betting patterns.
While some African sports federations have sought to limit betting on domestic events due to integrity concerns, Ali questions whether such restrictions displace betting into less regulated areas instead of removing it. He argues that regulated markets enhance transparency and allow for better monitoring of customer activity, which aids in addressing integrity issues.
Ali mentions that IBIA's recent focus is on improving the overall integrity ecosystem. He notes that alerts are just starting points for investigations. Effective follow-up actions depend heavily on the cooperation between regulators, law enforcement, and sports authorities.
He notes the complexities arising from the international nature of betting, stating that investigations often require collaboration across different jurisdictions. To streamline the process from detection to action, Ali advocates for strengthened legal frameworks and improved cross-border information sharing.
Looking ahead, Ali hopes to embed integrity into licensing processes across Africa. He cites Ontario and Alberta as models where integrity monitoring is integrated into operator licensing. Emphasizing the current evolution of African markets, he sees an opportunity to incorporate integrity measures into regulations early, ultimately promoting confidence in both sports and regulated betting.
