SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Starlizard Integrity Services (SIS) and the Slovak Football Association (SFA) have entered into a strategic partnership to combat match-fixing in Slovakian football.
The agreement will see SIS alert the SFA when irregular and suspicious betting patterns are detected in relation to the country’s top-flight Fortuna Liga in addition to the Slovakia Cup and Slovakia Super Cup.
Furthermore, the sports integrity group will investigate specific allegations of match-fixing and match-manipulation in Slovakian football and cooperate with the SFA on any investigations into illicit activity.
“The partnership underlines the commitment of the Slovak Football Association to preserving the integrity of football in our country. We are delighted to be working with SIS,” said Jakub Čavoj, the SFA’s Integrity Officer.
“Their deep understanding of betting markets around the world will be invaluable in helping identify any suspicious betting behaviour and potential match-fixing concerning games being played in Slovakia.”
SIS is the sports integrity arm of the London-based sports betting consultancy firm Starlizard, and it has been in operation since 2010.
The service uses insights to identify betting market discrepancies and suspicious patterns, as well as analysing on-pitch performance data and extensive research.
Affy Sheikh, Head of Starlizard Integrity Services, added: “We are honoured to have been entrusted by the Slovak Football Association to help them in their dedicated efforts to keep the national game clean.
“Match-fixing is a scourge in football and it is great to see the SFA taking pre-emptive steps to minimise the risk.”
The SFA also entered into a data-sharing partnership with the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) in December 2020. The duo will cooperate to protect the integrity of Slovakian sports competitions and assist with police investigations.
