The European Gaming and Betting Association and the European Sports Security Association signed an agreement with the International Olympic Committee to share information on suspicious betting activity ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics.
The partnership commenced with the start of the Sochi games last week and will also cover the 2016 summer games in Rio de Janiero.
IOC spokesman Mark Adams described the committee as “very pleased with these agreements, which build on our successful collaboration during London 2012”.
The terms of the latest agreement allow EGBA and ESSA, both of which are arms of the commercial betting industry, to share data with the IOC through a newly established Integrity Betting Intelligence System. The system, launched for the Sochi games, collates alerts and information on unusual betting patterns and will be made available to international sports federations for their international competitions as part of an increasingly concerted campaign by public and private sports organizations and the industry to protect sporting events from betting-related corruption.
“The regulated betting operators work hard to promote a fair and untainted gaming experience for all,” said EGBA Secretary General Maarten Haijer.
“The MoUs,” he added, “send a clear message that the sports betting industry takes the issue of match-fixing very seriously and will face it head on. Sports, the public and betting operators all lose out from match-fixing.”
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