IBIA finds ‘no corruption issues’ across 99.96% of regulated markets

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has released its ‘optimum’ study into betting regulation, assessing 20 jurisdictions across six continents, finding no evidence of corruption across the vast majority of surveyed markets.

Covering ‘a range of licencing models,’ the study collected fiscal and integrity data from multiple regulated betting operators – representing almost 50% of all commercial online betting activity – which feed into the IBIA’s customer account-based integrity system. 

Overall, the IBIA found no corruption issues in 99.96% of surveyed markets, although a data-led evaluation revealed that the regulated sector suffered an annual loss of $25 million due to match-fixing.

The report also featured a ranking of jurisdictional regulations based on five core assessment criteria, with the UK leading whilst India was ranked lowest, as well as an optimum betting market solution in the form of ten regulatory pillars.

Lastly, the IBIA initiated an ‘evidence-based assessment’ of the availability of betting products and the cost of match-fixing, whilst key findings from operator data covered $137 billion (€115 billion) in betting turnover.

“The study and its contents can rightly be justified as unprecedented,” said Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA. “H2 has conducted a detailed examination of product data covering $137 billion in turnover, along with its own market data. 

“The result is a report that provides a never seen before insight into global consumer demand, integrity risks and regulatory practices. 

“In doing so, it reveals the core facets of a successful regulatory framework for betting. IBIA hopes that these evidenced-based findings will assist the important ongoing global betting and integrity debate.”

Notably trade association partners involved in the study include the UK’s Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), Sweden’s Branscheforenigen för Onlinespel (BOS), the Dutch Netherlands Online Gambling Authority (NOGA) the continental European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA), and Spain’s Jdigital, the latest organisation to collaborate with the IBIA.

The ‘first of its kind’ survey was conducted in cooperation with global gambling data analytics and intelligence company H2 Gambling Capital.

H2 was commissioned with the task of evaluating he strengths and weaknesses of regulatory frameworks for various international betting jurisdictions, whilst consideration was also given to the effectiveness of betting product restrictions as well as the cost of match-fixing to the regulated global betting sector.

David Henwood, Director of H2, added: “Our assessment of the various regulatory models in operation around the world has determined the key factors that are most likely to generate a successful well-regulated betting market: unlimited licensing, competitive GGR tax, wide product offering, integrity provisions and balanced advertising parameters. 

“That position and our betting product and integrity evaluation is based on the most extensive and detailed collection of market data that has ever been assembled. The report’s findings are therefore unique and illuminating.”