BetStars signs up to ESSA

Amaya’s BetStars has become the 25th member of ESSA, the international betting integrity body.

ESSA holds positions on match-fixing policy forums at the European Commission, Council of Europe and the IOC. Other ESSA members include Bet365, Ladbrokes Coral, Unibet and William Hill.

BetStars, which was launched by PokerStars owner Amaya in late 2015, is the official betting partner of English Premier League champions Leicester City.

“BetStars is committed to keeping online betting fun and safe for our customers,” said Zeno Osskó, managing director of BetStars. “The move to join ESSA underlines that approach and our determination to identify and tackle those that seek to manipulate sporting events against fellow consumers and responsible operators.

“We look forward to engaging closely with our partners within ESSA to maintain the integrity of sportsbook markets.”    

ESSA is driving a number of activities aimed at addressing match-fixing, including a player education programme with EU Athletes and an international project, entitled ‘Keep Crime out of Sport’, led by the Council of Europe.

Khalid Ali, secretary general of ESSA, said: “BetStars’ decision to join ESSA is excellent news for all concerned and another important milestone for the association.

“Backed by Amaya, one of the world’s largest gaming groups with 108 million registered customers, the addition of BetStars brings clear advantages for ESSA and its alert platform. Whilst BetStars will benefit from access to a growing and effective operator run network focused on protecting its members’ businesses from fraud.”

Related article: ESSA cites 130 cases of suspicious betting activity in 2016