Latest News
268 suspicious sports betting alerts reported by IBIA in 2022
Increase in alerts attributed to widening of the monitoring network as a result of membership growth
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), the leading global voice on integrity for the licensed betting industry, has published its annual suspicious betting alerts. The increase in alerts for 2022 was a result of significant growth of its membership and the coverage of its regulated betting market monitoring network. The number of successful sporting or criminal sanctions last year confirms the value of collaborating through IBIA’s network in the fight against match-fixing.
The 268 cases reported represents a 14% increase on the previous year, albeit the figure is reasonably consistent with the 230 average annual alerts during 2019-21. There were 50 alerts in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2022, adding to revised figures of 48 alerts (Q1), 80 (Q2) and 90 (Q3). The 2022 alerts spanned 14 sports and 61 countries, with tennis and football continuing to dominate. Europe also continued to provide the highest number of alerts with nearly 50% of the annual total.
During 2022, successful sporting or criminal sanctions were announced against 15 teams, officials or players where IBIA had reported suspicious activity on their matches. In several of the cases, data from IBIA and its members helped contribute to significant sanctions, such as life bans, being issued. This collective action attests to the powerful impact of IBIA’s data and cross-sector partnership working.
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “The protective shield provided by IBIA is a vital tool in identifying and sanctioning attempted corruption on regulated betting markets. That has been underlined by welcome successful prosecutions during 2022 based on IBIA data, and we expect further corroboration of the association’s important positive impact and collaborative approach to be evident throughout 2023.”
IBIA’s network involves over 45 companies and 125 sports betting brands, including many of the leading regulated betting operators in the world, making IBIA the largest organisation of its nature. Whilst mitigating integrity activity continues across all of our members’ markets, North America has understandably been the focus of much attention: IBIA is the largest integrity monitor in Ontario, with a number of new members set to be announced across U.S. states over the coming weeks and months.
Khalid Ali adds: “The addition of 16 new members in 2022 has undoubtedly strengthened our monitoring and alert network and our ambition is to see all responsible regulated sports betting operators collaborating through IBIA. Proactive and collaborative action by our sector is an essential component in the fight against match-fixing, and to enhancing the overall reputation of the sector in general.”
Over the period 2018-22, IBIA reported 1,224 alerts across 21 sports and 102 countries. This involved 559 alerts in tennis and 295 in football during that five-year period and which accounted for 70% of all cases. The generation of these alerts involved important customer account transactional data which is only available via IBIA and its members, and which is often the initiator of investigative action by sport bodies, regulators and law enforcement, and is the cornerstone of subsequent sanctions.
Other key data for 2022:
102 – Total tennis alerts, an increase of 27% on the 80 reported in 2021
67 – Football alerts, a similar figure to the 66 reported in 2021
22 – Alerts on sporting events in North America
17 – Alerts on horseracing, with 14 in the U.S.
10 – Alerts on football matches in India
Latest News
Bitblox unveil new partnership with Timeless Tech
Bitblox, the pioneering software studio responsible for introducing a new wave of crypto-based price prediction games to the online casino world, has announced it has agreed a huge new deal that will see its full range of titles added to the Timeless Tech portfolio.
As a forward-thinking aggregator that prides itself on continually broadening the gaming verticals that it’s able to supply to customers, the partnership will allow Timeless Tech to offer releases like Up or Down?, Up or Down? Turbo and 3 in a Row to its casino clients going forward.
With these four additions as well as all future releases from Bitblox at their disposal, operators who use Timeless Tech to power their game aggregation needs will now be able to further engage their customers with a unique selection of titles that combine elements of both chance and skill.
Perfectly positioned to capitalise on the iGaming industry’s growing interest in cryptocurrency, all Bitblox releases require players to try and correctly predict Bitcoin’s price movement over a fixed window of time and have been built to appeal to both casino customers and sports bettors alike.
Although no prior knowledge of the Bitcoin market is needed to play, the presence of real-time price data enables users to follow the chart and make better informed decisions, meaning they have a more active role in the outcome of each round than they would with a traditional RNG title.
As a result, Bitblox’s games manage to fill a gap in the market that’s both fun and strategic while also supplying an exciting new vertical for operators looking to engage with a younger, crypto-curious audience. Their addition to the Timeless Tech portfolio should serve to see their current popularity grow further as they find their way to new customers in a variety of markets worldwide.
Brandt Page, Chief Executive Officer at Bitblox Games, said: “At Bitblox, we already know we’ve come up with a concept that holds genuine appeal to both sports bettors and casino customers alike, so the next step is obviously ensuring that our games get out to as wide an audience as possible.
“Our new partnership with Timeless Tech will enable us to do just that by making our full portfolio of releases available to a wide number of operators globally, so we’re very excited to see what the uptake is and we’re really looking forward to hearing back from customers on how they perform.”
Nicola Cainero, COO at Timeless Tech, said: “At Timeless Tech, we’re always looking to integrate innovative content that pushes the boundaries of gaming, and Bitblox aligns perfectly with our goal of providing unique and engaging experiences to both players and operators alike.
“By adding their releases to our platform, we can further broaden the gaming verticals that we supply to partners, providing them with fresh content that will add an exciting dimension to their current libraries while also attracting a new wave of players who are interested in cryptocurrency.”
Latest News
BETBAZAR partners with ICONIC21 to enhance live casino offering
Innovative B2B worldwide iGaming marketplace provider agrees deal with leading live game supplier to further strengthen the range of titles available to operators
With the BETBAZAR marketplace going from strength to strength this year following a flurry of promising partnerships, the innovative iGaming company has announced another new addition after putting pen to paper with live casino supplier, ICONIC21.
Known throughout the industry for providing one of the most comprehensive selections of live dealer games around, ICONIC21 offers everything from classic titles like roulette and blackjack to Asian favourites such as Sic Bo and even boasts a suite of releases featuring bonus multipliers.
As a result of the new deal, BETBAZAR will now stock all 20 titles of the ICONIC21 portfolio in its online marketplace, giving clients a wider range of live casino options to choose from and enabling them to benefit from powerful promotional tools like Bet & Get offers and tournaments.
With all releases being broadcasted 24/7 from dedicated studios and hosted by friendly and professional presenters, the ICONIC21 game library provides a truly immersive experience to gamers that closely replicates the look and feel of attending a genuine bricks-and-mortar casino.
Of course, while the provider’s staple table game options will undoubtedly prove popular with customers, it’s perhaps the “Gravity Series” of games that will provide operators with the easiest way to differentiate themselves in the live casino market by offering something fresh and unique.
Boasting stunning visual effects, attractive backdrops and sky-high multipliers that can be triggered across a wide range of bets, all “Gravity Series” titles offer an exciting twist on classic game formats that can boost engagement through their potential maximum wins of up to 1,000x.
With every game in the ICONIC21 line-up also being fully customisable to suit partners’ needs, the supplier provides a genuinely bespoke service that will undoubtedly prove a big hit in the BETBAZAR marketplace and help the company further strengthen its existing live casino offering.
Alex Iaroshenko, Chief Executive Officer at BETBAZAR, said: “With live casino titles providing an exciting vertical for operators that delivers the closest thing to a real bricks-and-mortar experience, we’re delighted to team up with one of the industry’s leading live game providers, ICONIC21, in a partnership that will enhance the range of options available via our marketplace.
“With ICONIC21’s expansive library providing everything from classic table games to Asian favourites as well as unique titles that offer additional bonus multipliers for increased user engagement, we’re sure their games will go on to be a big hit with customers and players alike.”
Alina Mihaela Popa, Chief Commercial Officer at ICONIC21, said: “Having built up a market-leading collection of live casino games that encompasses everything from blackjack and roulette to specialised offerings like The Kickoff and Crash Live, we’re thrilled to now be able to get our titles out to an even wider audience by offering them to operators through the BETBAZAR marketplace.
“BETBAZAR’s impressive outreach and strong standing within the iGaming community will ensure that more prospective partners now have access to all of our releases, empowering them to offer a more engaging user experience to customers that can be fully customised to suit their needs.”
Compliance Updates
Snooker Player Mark King Banned for 5 Years for Fixing Match and Providing Inside Information
English snooker player Mark King was handed a five-year ban on Friday after being found guilty of match-fixing and providing inside information in the latest corruption scandal to blight the sport.
The punishment for the 50-year-old King, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 11 in 2003, related to a match against Joe Perry at the Welsh Open played on Feb. 13 last year that was flagged following suspicious betting patterns.
King was suspended by snooker’s world governing body a month later and an independent disciplinary commission has ruled that he fixed the result of the match, while giving information to others about that match for betting purposes. He had denied the charges.
His ban ends after March 17, 2028, and King was also ordered to pay more than 68,000 pounds ($86,000) in costs.
“I have known Mark King since he was very young, he is a very experienced player who has enjoyed great success, and I am deeply saddened to read the finding in this case,” said Jason Ferguson, a former player who is now chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. “However, the integrity of this sport will always be our No. 1 priority.”
King had also been charged with fixing the outcome of a match against John Higgins played on Dec. 13, 2022, and for providing inside information on it. Those charges were dismissed.
The governing body said Perry and Higgins were not accused of any misconduct related to the case.
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