IBIA secures data deal with H2 Gambling Capital
The recently rebranded International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has entered into a wide-reaching data partnership with H2 Gambling Capital.
Gaming market data and intelligence provider H2 will grant IBIA access to its market database of over 2m data points across 150 jurisdictions around the world.
The IBIA, previously known as ESSA (Sports Betting Integrity), will be able to use H2's data to develop and promote effective integrity frameworks and advise policymakers on practical betting market frameworks.
The association has an existing relationship with H2, having worked together when delivering proposals to the Independent Review Panel’s (IRP) review of tennis integrity last year.
The IRP’s proposed prohibition on International Tennis Federation (ITF) data being collected for tournaments with $15,000 and and $25,000 prize pools was strongly opposed by the IBIA. The association argued that a data blackout would create opportunities for illegal betting operators to exploit such competitions.
It was able to highlight the negative effects of such a move using H2's data, which ultimately saw the IRP amend the scope of this provision in its final report, to only ban data collection on $15,000 tournaments.
“We worked with H2 when delivering our position and proposals to the independent review of tennis integrity last year,” IBIA secretary general Khalid Ali said. “H2’s data and economic analysis was crucial and underpinned our key arguments during those discussions.
“Both parties are keen to continue working together and to utilise H2’s best in class global gambling data to foster informed regulatory policies.”
David Henwood, director at H2, added: “We increasingly want to help our clients and partners take advantage of new opportunities, safeguard their interests and meet their commercial objectives.
“Ensuring a safe betting environment is central to the current regulatory debate and the International Betting Integrity Association is at the forefront of that global discussion,” he explained. “We aim to support the association’s objectives in this area with our unrivalled intelligence, analysis and market data.”
Confirmation of the partnership comes after IBIA last week named AB Trav och Galopp (ATG) the market-leading operator in the early months of Sweden’s regulated igaming market, as its first new member since its rebrand earlier this month.
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