How do you spot unusual activity in betting markets or fixing attempts and data fraud?
We work with more than 80 sporting federations and partners across more than 20 different sports, including FIFA, Cricket Australia and the Indian Super League. On behalf of our partners, we monitor sporting events using a sophisticated software called the Fraud Detection System (FDS).
When the FDS flags abnormal betting activity, our team of integrity experts—specially trained to analyse betting patterns—start their investigations. In instances where we confirm match-fixing, we report to the sporting body and, from this point, we work closely with them, providing betting evidence and supporting information to assist investigations.
Our integrity work has led to over 5,000 matches being reported [and has led to] over 400 sporting sanctions and 33 criminal convictions.
What challenges do you face while tracking grey or illegal betting markets, like in India?
The FDS monitors odds from over 600 betting operators worldwide (regulated and unregulated), including many prominent Asian operators. With a large proportion of the bets placed on fixed matches flowing through these operators, the ability to track betting activity there is vital. In our experience, betting activity in the underground Indian market invariably presents itself in the legal market, due to the interwoven, interacting nature of the global betting industry. The challenge, therefore, is not in detecting fixed matches, but more so for investigators who will be unable to cooperate with the unlicenced betting operators in the subsequent investigations.
Did betting activity stop under lockdown?
Over 90 per cent of global sport halted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, [and] we estimate that global betting turnover decreased by over 75 per cent during some of the worst-hit weeks. [But] the main trend we observed was the dramatic increase in betting interest in events that continued during March and April. For example, the top tier of Belarusian soccer saw an increase in betting turnover of almost 4,000 per cent. Bettors [were] hungry for any “live sport” they could get during this crisis.
What was the betting scene during this time in India?
In India, we estimate that betting turnover between March and May decreased by over 60 per cent. However, it is noteworthy that an India-facing betting exchange was reportedly still generating turnover in excess of Euro 25 million on matches being played in this period.
With economic slowdown, no matches and no salaries, how vulnerable are players right now?
The negative economic conditions have certainly played into the hands of match-fixers. On the other side, match-fixers operating in certain regions have also been starved of their avenue of illegal revenue, and will be eager to orchestrate fixes as soon as competitions restart.
How do you keep pace with smaller, emerging T20 and T10 leagues?
Although pop-up cricket leagues and new formats are difficult to keep on top of, especially regional T20 and T10 leagues in Asia in recent years, the FDS is built to monitor any suspicious or unusual betting patterns from these events. The formats may be different, but the key betting markets and ways of betting remain the same, and from a sports integrity standpoint, the methods of manipulation remain similar. For instance, one of the popular methods of fixing in limited-overs cricket is manipulating the sessions or brackets. In T20 cricket, this may result in only a set number of runs being scored in the opening six overs, while in T10 cricket this session or bracket is merely reduced.
How different is tracking betting activity in cricket compared with tennis, golf or football, in terms of resources and technology?
We learned very early on that there is no “one size fits all” monitoring strategy. To think otherwise would be akin to sending a cricket umpire to referee a soccer match on the basis they are both a “sport”.