KSA Shows Concerns Over 85% Drop in 2023 Match-Fixing Reports

The 2012-established independent administrative body that supervises and regulates gambling services in the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Netherlands Gaming Authority (KSA), has released the 2023 match-fixing report.

The report speaks of a concerning 85% decrease in the number of reports related to suspicious match-fixing activities in sports competitions. 

The Sharp Drop in Alerts Does Not Signal an Improvement

Only six potential match-fixing cases were reported to the regulator’s Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU) by licensed operators in 2023. Compared to the previous year’s 40 reports, the sharp YoY decrease might sound like good news to many. However, the KSA does not regard the drop as a measure of a lower risk of gambling-connected match-fixing cases.

On the contrary, the gaming authority which receives funding from the industry via gambling levies believes the decrease could be attributed to the low level of awareness that licensed operators have regarding the need to report any suspicious activity to the SBIU with zero delays.

Plus, the drop-off came despite two fresh reporting categories being offered next to the standard “involvement in a match and/or competition” and “unusual betting patterns” options. 

The new categories are “offering banned betting options” and “offering bets on potentially risky matches.” 

External Parties Kept Reporting Suspicious Activities 

While operators and license holders weren’t too busy sending reports to the unit, this was not the case for external parties including agencies that are hired to complete different investigations, ministries, and supervisors located overseas. 

They all continued to stay vigilant and sent a significant number of alerts to the SBIU in 2023, with 29 of them coming from the Group of Copenhagen. 

The latter is an advisory group to the Macolin Convention’s Follow-up Committee that has a clear focus on sports manipulation.

According to an official statement issued by the KSA, while the total number of reports on suspicious sports matches dropped considerably compared to the 2022 figures, “the number of signals from external sources was of a reasonable size.”

The agency emphasized that it could not conclude that the risk of match-fixing connected to gambling among licensed suppliers of services has dropped, reiterating the need to raise more awareness among these providers.

The body that is governed by a board of directors explained that it is their responsibility to remind operators of their legal obligations to inform the SBIU as soon as possible in regards to any indications that may showcase “an increased risk of manipulation of a concerned match.”  

While the KSA itself does not carry the legal responsibility to identify match-fixing, it needs to make sure that licensed operators are doing everything possible toward prevention.