SWIMA integrity marked as a critical initiative for US betting

Leading US gambling stakeholders will participate in the formation of a new non-profit body monitoring US sports betting, collaborating to help combat fraud and eliminate corruption.

This week New Jersey Assistant Attorney General George Rover presented the foundations of ‘Sports Wagering Integrity Monitoring Association – SWIMA’, which aims to monitor betting activities, creating safe and secure betting propositions for US consumers.

Founding SWIMA members include – William Hill US, Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, FanDuel, bet365, 888 Holdings and Hard Rock International.

“With sports betting being legalized in more and more states, SWIMA’s principal goal is to protect consumers, operators and other stakeholders from potential fraud caused by the unfair manipulation of events on which betting is offered,” SWIMA announces in its opening statement.

The non-profit organisation has formed a board of trustees which is led by Stephen Martino, MGM Resorts International’s Chief Compliance Officer working alongside former Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones, the current VP of Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility for Caesars Entertainment.

In its mandate, SWIMA seeks to develop a collaborative framework and system of reporting and sharing information on suspicious betting activity, working with US law enforcement bodies.

The integrity unit was formed with the help of European sports integrity group ESSA, with which SWIMA will also share information on potentially fraudulent activity.

 The American Gaming Association AGA   has backed the integrity initiative, with Sara Slane Vice President of AGA Public Affairs referring to the unit as an important development for US betting’s future:

“Today’s announcement comes at a critical time as dozens of states and sovereign tribal nations are poised to pursue legal sports betting in 2019. Moving forward, SWIMA will provide an important hub for all stakeholders to work together, further demonstrating the industry’s commitment to upholding integrity across all facets of a legal, regulated sports betting market.”

“The formation of the SWIMA serves as another important milestone toward realizing the benefits of a legal, regulated sports betting market in the United States, which provides robust consumer protection, increased transparency and additional tax revenues for state and local governments,”