SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Industry sports integrity organization ESSA has announced that it will deploy a ‘heightened level’ of security during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (start date 5 August). ESSA and its members will be cooperating with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) monitoring all 306 Olympic events via its Integrity Betting Intelligence System (IBIS).
ESSA and its members have experience of working with the Olympic authorities following a successful integrity collaboration during the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The cooperation policy employed for that event has become a blueprint for all future Olympic events and underpins the Rio approach. The IOC has also introduced a number of additional integrity measures (see here) since the London Games, including the establishment of the IOC IBIS and a cooperation agreement with Interpol.
Khalid Ali, Secretary General of ESSA commented on ESSA Rio 2016 efforts
“Sport isn’t sport unless it is fair and its outcome not predetermined, and whilst we haven’t seen any unusual betting activity in previous Games, we are not complacent about the dangers that corrupters continue to present to the sporting and betting sectors. ESSA and its responsible regulated members are intent on doing all we can to help the IOC to protect the world’s pinnacle multi-sport event from betting related corruption,”
Girard Zappelli, the IOC’s Ethics & Compliance Chief Officer
“The information sharing relationship with betting companies is a key pillar of the IOC’s integrity strategy and is a crucial part of the IBIS system. It is an approach that is based on partnership and cooperation between parties with a mutual goal to prevent corruption from destroying the ethics and values of sport. The IOC welcomes the continuing commitment of ESSA and its members in this fight”.
