The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and its member companies, bet365, Betway and FanDuel, have announced their plan to launch and support a national athlete education campaign in Canada.
To address the potential threat of match-fixing and fraud associated with sports betting for athletes, sports and the regulated market, they have agreed to invest at least $220,000 over three years in the program.
The announcement was made at the “Symposium on Manipulation of Competitions and Gambling in Sport” in Toronto. The FFL, CPL, Hockey Canada, NFL, NBA and NHL, as well as national and interim governments, licensing and regulatory authorities such as the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and the Gambling and Liquor Commission of Alberta, were among the participants.
In addition, the project’s funding partners are actively discussing a delivery body aimed at finalizing the project in the coming weeks. The program is planned to feature in-person athlete training, an online learning portal, an anonymous whistleblower app and awareness materials when it launches in the second half of this year.
Jean-François Reymond, IBIA Education Ambassador, said, “Our goal is to build a cutting-edge program for all athletes that serves to protect the integrity of Canadian sport and the careers of Canadian athletes.”
Anthony Werkman, CEO of Betway, said: “As a global brand, we are committed to fighting any form of corruption in betting, both globally and locally, and look forward to working with fellow members to help shape a better future for betting organisations. sports and regulators”.
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “IBIA is delighted that our members such as bet365, Betway and FanDuel are so committed to sports betting education and are prepared to invest in such an important initiative.
“All partners are excited to see the positive impact this project will have on maintaining the integrity of Canadian sport and the players themselves.”
About IBIA
A not-for-profit association, the IBIA is the world’s largest operator-run betting integrity monitoring body, with more than 120 sports betting brands generating approximately CA$185 billion (over US$137 billion) in total bets placed by year. She represents the majority of licensed betting operators in Ontario, including project co-financiers bet365, Betway and FanDuel.
