The European Sports Security Association (ESSA),the Brussels based monitoring and reporting body have published the Their 2012 report into match fixing and irregular betting on European sports and bookmakers. The ESSA flagged 109 irregular bets with only six subsequently referred to local policing authorities.
Using sophisticated data collection tools to monitor 27 European Union nations along with Iceland, Norway and Switzerland where studied in the report into irregular betting and match fixing. The subsequent low outcome supports the belief that match fixing is likely to occur in less regulated betting markets and less developed sporting markets.The 2012 report showed a drop of two legitimate match fixing cases being reported to policing authorities compared to 2011
The report highlights many positives for legal sports betting operators, highlighting “Licensed and regulated online betting has actually facilitated increased security for sporting bodies, consumers and the licensed betting market,”
Technological advancements and better process from bookmakers have helped reporting on match fixing “Modern digital technologies have allowed us to develop far more efficient and effective anti-corruption measures, notably customer verification details (KYC) and electronic payments.”
The ESSA also said that criminals will continue to pray on the vulnerabilities of players until key sports governance issues including the lack of salary payments are suitably addressed.“There is a need for greater cooperation between stakeholders and the establishment of betting intelligence units focused on protecting consumers, sports and the regulated betting market. However, any solution must cover a range of issues; the education of athletes and ensuring good sports governance are crucial if corruption is to be addressed. ESSA also believes that it is important that all operators, regardless of size and location, have access to and input into a central security network and we are calling on all operators to contact ESSA and to discuss the value of expanding our network and protecting global regulated betting markets.”