GLMS files 64 suspicious activity reports in H1

The Global Lottery Monitoring System (GLMS), the sports betting integrity body for the lottery industry, reported 64 matches to its partners in the first half of 2019 as a result of suspicious betting activity.

In total GLMS sent out 432 alerts during the first six months of the year, the first stage in its reporting process. This suggests there is evidence suspicious activity based on betting patterns around a sporting event. The vast majority of these alerts (324) concerned football matches, and related to European events (312). Of the 432, 25 were red alerts, suggesting there were serious irregularities or allegations of match-fixing made by a named source. 

After alerts are sent out, if an investigation can uncover no explanation for the suspicious activity, GLMS then generates a report on that match. Of the 64 reports issued to June 2019, 35 concerned football matches, with 22 reported to the sport's world governing body FIFA and 13 to its European equivalent UEFA.

A further six events were reported to the International Olympic Committee, while two tennis matches were flagged to the Tennis Integrity Unit. An additional 38 events were reported to other sporting bodies, with certain events flagged for more than one partner.

“We constantly make our best efforts to enhance all our Monitoring and Integrity services, including our education and prevention programmes and we are always available to effectively support members and partners with the development of ad hoc education and prevention tools in compliance with national regulatory and public needs,” GLMS President Ludovico Calvi said.

Looking ahead to the second half of the year, Calvi pledged to continue GLMS' efforts to uphold sporting integrity ” with renewed enthusiasm and passion”.