The International Betting Integrity Association received 56 alerts for suspicious bets during the first quarter, up by 64.7% from the last quarter of 2023.
The IBIA Q1 total was also 12.0% higher than the 50 alerts revised from the previous quarter. Six sports in 21 countries on five continents were involved.
IBIA examines suspicious betting activities to determine potential corruption in sports. IBIA members are more than 50 betting companies, and over 125 brands. It is the world’s largest integrity monitoring organization.
IBIA’s chief executive Khalid Ali says the increasing number of alerts are another indication of match-fixing.
Ali stated that “the first quarter has seen an increase of reported alerts, highlighting the continuing challenge faced by our members and sports authorities from corruption.” IBIA alerts are backed by global data on customer accounts that is only accessible to IBIA members and IBIA. This information allows us to provide a world-leading market coverage.
This data is essential for the advancement of investigations and the imposition of sanctions. IBIA remains committed to working closely with all stakeholders to provide this valuable evidence base.
Alerts about football and Asia IBIA on the Rise
IBIA’s Q1 report noted an increase in alerts for football and tennis. In the first quarter, 38 notifications were received from both sports. This is 67.9%.
The most alerts were reported in football, with 24. This is up by 50% from 16 the previous quarter. This number also represents a 60% rise from 15 alerts reported in the same quarter of last year.
Asia, with 23, accounted for the highest number of alerts during Q1 2024. This is 41.1%. Europe had only four alerts in Q1 2019, down by 76.5% compared to the 17 notifications on the continent for the first quarter of 2023.
North America and South America tied at second place in the number of alerts, each producing 10 during Q1. Both continents accounted for 17.9% of total notifications.
Tennis and basketball each triggered one notification, but football accounted for five alerts. Turkey only sent one alert to the IBIA in 2023.
Increase in Alerts after 2023 Decrease
In 2023, the IBIA reported a reduction of 35% in match fixing alerts.
IBIA has received 184 notifications over the past year. This is a significant decrease from 2022’s revised 285 alerts. In Q1 2024 the most affected sports were football and tennis. The two sports triggered respectively 63 and54 alerts.
IBIA 2023’s work revealed 74 fixed matches, and 21 sanctions.
Ontario a potential shining channelisation light
In its first quarter report, IBIA focused also on Ontario as an attractive market for sports betting products, following a report it released earlier this year entitled “The IBIA Study, The Availability Of Sports Betting Products: Economic and Integrity Analyses”.
The IBIA estimated that by 2024 the region would reach a channelisation rate of 92%, and then 97% onshore.
The IBIA forecasts that Ontario’s onshore gross win will top $506m (PS404.8m/EUR472.0m), with offshore gross win at just $42m. In the end, tax revenue will only be $33m between 2024-2028.
Canada, excluding Ontario, is believed to have a channelisation rate onshore of only 11%. The offshore gross winnings are $355m while the onshore wins are $45m. If the current regulatory monopoly system is maintained, Canada without Ontario could lose out on $395m of tax between 2024 and 2028.
