International Betting Integrity Association Report: 33 corrupt sporting events detected across 2024

IMAGO

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has reported that 33 separate sporting events were sanctioned for corruption and match-fixing across 2024.

The IBIA, which monitors global betting patterns in search of irregular activity, published its annual report earlier this month. 

Its findings show that 17 clubs, players and officials were also reprimanded for corruption as part of the 33 events which were sanctioned.

Remarkably, 10 of these were tennis players and umpires.

In fact, tennis was the second most reported sport with 58 suspicious alerts raised. Only football, with 75, saw more. 

The IBIA is a non-profit organisation which was established in 2005 and comprises many of the largest global sports betting operators.

According to the organisation’s website, members ‘undergo a rigorous due diligence process and must adhere to our code of conduct, committing them to responsible betting practices’.

These members report any irregular activity detected to the IBIA, such as a large sum being placed on an unlikely outcome.

The IBIA then compares the activity with that of other bookmakers to determine whether they are dealing with an isolated incident or if a suspicious pattern emerges.

In the event of the latter, the IBIA will issue an alert to the sport in question’s regulatory body, which then decides whether or not to conduct their own investigation. 

The report shows 219 alerts were issued in total across 2024 - a 17% increase on those raised in 2023. 

A high-profile example is darts prodigy Leighton Bennett, who was handed an eight-year suspension for match-fixing by the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) in December 2024.

The DRA’s investigation was initiated after the IBIA flagged suspicious activity in four of his Modus Super Series matches from the previous year.

Bennett, who was being touted as the ‘next Luke Littler’, was also slapped with an £8,100 fine.

Czechia was the country which hosted the highest number of suspicious events with 19 in total. Interestingly, the nation was also among the highest reported for 2023.

Turkey came in second with 11, while only four reports related to events held in the UK. These spanned across a multitude of sports, including greyhound racing, bowls, boxing and tennis.

In fact, 80 of the 219 alerts related to events which took place across Europe.

This equates to around 37% of the grand total, marking a sharp decrease on the 60% accounted for by European events in 2023.

Asia accounted for 40 reports, while Africa held 28 suspicious events across the year. Twenty South American events were also flagged, while 19 reports were raised in North America.

The remaining 32 alerts related to global eSports events, which were not allocated to a country due to the difficulty in establishing where an event is being held. 

To learn more, visit our responsible gambling in sports betting page which also offers resources and advice on where to seek help if needed.