IBIA expands integrity operations in Brazil

IBIA said the expansion was happening due to the imminent government regulation of sports betting in Brazil, the growth of the sports betting market and past instances of match-fixing in the country.

It added that according to H2 Gambling Capital, 60% of the remote gambling market in Brazil is made up of IBIA members.

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said that the body is looking forward to expanding its reach in Brazil.

“We welcome the Brazilian government’s decision to regulate the sports betting industry as an overwhelmingly positive move,” said Ali. “IBIA looks forward to working with policymakers to ensure Brazil enjoys the full benefits of a dynamic and competitive sports betting market, while reducing the risks of match-fixing.”

Ali added that this expansion would allow the integrity body to deploy its comprehensive anti-match fixing technology, which would combat against match-fixing attempts in Brazil.

“What sets IBIA apart from commercial monitoring systems is the ability to track transactional activity linked to individual consumer accounts rather than analysing simple odds movements,” he continued. “Responsible regulated sports betting operators have a significant incentive to help crack down on match fixing and IBIA intends to be at the forefront of that preventative action in Brazil.

“IBIA’s advocacy expertise and monitoring and alert network will have a vital role to play in helping Brazil successfully deter, investigate and prosecute match fixing.”

Last week, IBIA announced that it had received 40 suspicious alerts in the first quarter of the year.