A worldwide alliance for sports integrity has been formed between Genius Sports and the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA). This collaboration aims to bolster efforts against match-fixing.
Genius Sports will join the IBIA as an associate member, establishing a robust partnership to share data related to sports integrity.
This partnership will grant the IBIA access to Genius Sports’ technological resources and integrity reports, fostering global cooperation in the fight against match manipulation.
Simon Martin, Genius Sports’ Head of Integrity and Rights Enforcement, underscored the significance of this collaboration in combating match-fixing.
Martin stated: “Our partnership with the IBIA will equip us and our partners with enhanced global betting pattern transparency, aiding in the identification, management, and prevention of integrity risks.”
Khalid Ali, CEO of the IBIA, welcomed the partnership, expressing: “I am pleased that we have reached this crucial agreement with Genius Sports. It unites two global leaders in sports technology and betting integrity, united in our dedication to safeguarding sports from betting-related corruption.”
The Genius Sports agreement bolsters the IBIA’s presence in South America.
Ali highlighted the significance of Genius’s efforts in North and South America for IBIA’s growth in these areas.
“Genius Sports becoming an IBIA associate member is particularly welcome due to its extensive sports and integrity connections in North and South America, which will aid IBIA’s operations to expand in these regions,” he stated.
A match-fixing controversy is currently unfolding in Brazil. Botafogo football club owner John Textor accused Palmeiras of manipulating matches. These accusations led to the formation of a Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) to investigate the match-fixing allegations in Brazil.
Last week, Palmeiras president Leila Pereira denied Textor’s accusations during a CPI hearing, stating that the American businessman should be prohibited from Brazilian football if he fails to provide proof to support his claims.
Senator Jorge Kajuru, the CPI chair, said that Textor should be removed from Brazil if he has “no evidence.”
IBIA reports a rise in suspicious warnings in the first quarter
IBIA’s first quarter integrity report revealed that it received 56 suspicious betting warnings in the first quarter of 2024.
This signifies a 64.7% increase from the previous quarter and a 12% increase from the revised figure of 50 warnings in the first quarter of 2023.
Football and tennis alone accounted for 38 warnings, representing 67.9% of the total notifications in the first quarter.
During the year 2023, IBIA’s warnings aided in the examination and penalization of 21 athletes, administrators, and organizations. This represents a 6% increase from the 15 penalties handed out in 2022.
Genius enhanced its 2024 forecast upon releasing its first-quarter financial results, as the company experienced a more positive start to the year than anticipated.
Genius declared that its first-quarter group income reached $120 million (£94.1 million/€111.6 million), a 23.1% rise compared to the same period in the previous year. This figure surpassed prior expectations by 2.5%.
Genius’s betting technology, content, and services division revenue expanded by 14% year-over-year to $73.9 million. Furthermore, media technology, content, and services revenue surged by 63% to $35.5 million.
Attributable to the robust performance in the initial quarter, Genius elevated its group revenue objective from $480 million to $500 million, while also projecting adjusted EBITDA to attain $82 million, an increase from the previous target of $75 million.
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