IBIA Adds IMG ARENA as Official Member to Tackle Sports Corruption

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), an organization dedicated to tackling fraud in sports and betting on all levels, has revealed a new partnership with IMG ARENA, a leading provider of sports betting services and a content hub. 

The tie-up establishes IMG ARENA as one of the IBIA’s trusted members who will advance the association’s cause to tackle fraud in betting. IBIA is also behind some of the highest industry standards when it comes to assessing partners.

The pair will boost betting integrity and sports data distribution as IBIA seeks to open up its membership to companies committed to upholding the same core values as the association. Commenting on this opportunity, IMG Arena EVP and managing director Freddie Longe said:

“We are thrilled to become an associate member of the IBIA. We are committed to protecting the integrity of sport and have had a consistent position and commitment to distribution of official content since our launch in 2012.”

IMG Arena EVP and managing director Freddie Longe

Longe extolled IBIA’s virtues as a leading global authority on sports betting integrity and said that his organization was proud to be a member thereof. IBIA CEO Khalid Ali argued that the addition of IMG ARENA is a natural progression of the association’s commitment to fighting against underhand practices in sports.

IBA Ready to Welcome All Like-minded Organizations 

Sports data plays a crucial role for regulated betting operators. It also allows regulators, watchdogs, and third-party companies such as IBIA to get a clearer reading of what is happening with sports gambling worldwide and whether the integrity of a sport or competition is compromised. 

“IBIA values IMG ARENA’s contribution to the protection of the integrity of sporting events and the related sports data rights that it distributes globally. The association looks forward to building upon our existing relationship and widening our engagement activities.”

IBIA has undergone some restructuring to better reflect on how its separate branches deal with particular issues in the world of sport. Today, IBIA’s partners are classified within three main categories, to name betting operators, associate members, and strategic partners. The idea behind the association is for all members to take collective action, and this way weed out and bring to light cases of corruption that impact the entire association. 

No Escaping IBIA’s All-seeing Eye

The association’s fraud-detection platform and monitoring tools allow it to quickly get caught up on suspicious cases that are flagged to relative authorities. IBIA is actively exchanging data with sports and gambling regulators and has numerous partnerships and bilateral cooperation with organizations such as the United Nations, the International Olympic Committee, the European Commission, and others. 

Overall, IBIA has seen a noticeable drop in red flags about sports betting cases in Q2 2021, although new data is yet to be processed.