GMB - Genius Sports founded, in partnership with other companies, the Brazilian Association for the Defense of Sports Integrity - ABRADIE. How did this idea come about? How did you detect the need for something like this for Brazil?
Chris Dougan - The integrity association was inspired by the Brazilian government’s decision to legalise sports betting back in December 2018. As the integrity partner to the English Premier League, NFL, PGA TOUR and over 100 other leagues, Genius Sports is recognized as a global expert in sports integrity matters. We provide sports with proven bet monitoring technology, educational programmes and advisory services to help protect against match-fixing and betting-related corruption.
With federal sports betting regulation expected imminently in Brazil, we see a window of opportunity for all stakeholders, across the sports and betting industry, to come together to start the conversation about international best practices and develop a sports integrity framework that will help to ensure Brazilian sports are fair, transparent and unpredictable.
What do you think each founding member of ABRADIE contributes to the development of policies to combat match-fixing in sport and guarantee security for bettors? What did you see in those companies to ally?
Effective protection against match-fixing and betting-related corruption requires transparency, cooperation and effective information sharing. These are the founding principles of ABRADIE and we have sought to bring together a broad coalition of members. Entain has extensive experience leading and implementing industry best practices and responsible gaming initiatives. Meantime Rei Do Pitaco, as Brazil’s leading DFS company, understands how to reach and connect with the next generation of Brazilian sports fans in a way that nobody else can.
Furthermore, Bichara e Motta involvement strengthens ABRADIE’s relationships with Brazilian sports bodies, leagues, teams, players and officials and sports policies and governance efforts. And Luiz Felipe Maia, as Entain’s representative in ABRADIE is fundamental to deepening relationships with local operators, key opinion leaders and navigating the labyrinth of a regulatory landscape in Brazil.
What should do companies that wish to join ABRADIE?
The association is an open forum that brings together like minded individuals and organizations from across the spectrum of sports, betting and media to start a conversation and recommendations or white paper that can be shared with the Brazilian people, its government and the regulator.
The association will be a broad based coalition that draws on the expertise of players, teams, sports leagues and federations, match officials, administrators, members of law enforcement, international experts, responsible gambling groups and bookmakers.
How has the impact of the creation of ABRADIE been since it was announced last Wednesday?
The founder members of ABRADIE have been overwhelmed by the extraordinary level of interest shown by a diverse range of industry stakeholders including sports leagues, team presidents, players and operators. Leadership figures across the country understand the principles and values that ABRADIE represents and are keen to show their support. Please watch this space for further announcements coming soon.
Does Genius Sports participate in other similar movements in other markets?
Yes. Genius has played an active role in similar movements in other jurisdictions including Colombia, US, UK and EU where we led the American Gaming Association’s integrity efforts, whilst our CEO Mark Locke participated in hearings in the US House of Representatives on Capitol Hill.
In addition to conducting seminars with members of US Law Enforcement, we have also acted in an advisory capacity to the UK Ministry of Sport and as an active member of the Council of Europe’s (CoE) “Macolin Convention”.
How can Genius Sports and now, ABRADIE, contribute with the Brazilian government and sports entities to reduce the attempt to manipulate results?
Alongside our coalition partners, Genius Sports will help to raise awareness amongst key opinion leaders in Brazil about international best practices and standards implemented in more mature betting markets. Since 2013, we are proud of our long-term partnership with the Premier League, one of the world’s most successful football organisations. We also have almost 20 years’ experience operating in the UK market which is often seen as the gold standard of sports betting regulation.
Through preventative measures such as participant education and regulatory recommendations, and a proactive approach to monitoring the betting markets utilising our best-in-class bet monitoring technology, we are trusted by sport entities to combat the threat of competition manipulation. This same approach will be applied to provide support to the Brazilian government and sports entities.
Do you believe that the regulation of sports betting in Brazil should contain consistent programs to guarantee sports integrity?
Safeguarding the integrity of sports is fundamental to having a transparent, sustainable sports betting market. There are several key measures that can be introduced to help safeguard sports integrity. For example, it can be written into sportsbooks’ licensing criteria that they must cooperate with integrity investigations and are obliged to share potentially suspicious activity with the relevant sports governing body. Match-fixing scandals have huge reputational consequences for sports leagues and federations but they also have very serious financial implications for sportsbooks who by sharing account-level information can help to quickly identify integrity incidents.
Brazil is a huge territory and has many championships in different formats. How to fight match-fixing attempts, especially in categories with less national impact?
Tackling betting-related corruption in Brazilian sports must be an immediate priority because of the imminent betting regulation and a series of recent integrity incidents. We have recently provided detailed integrity reports highlighting suspicious betting activity across almost all levels of Brazilian football. In fact, no country or region worldwide has triggered more football alerts than Brazil in our 24/7 bet monitoring system.
In 2023 alone, Genius Sports have already identified more than 25 potentially suspicious matches across the Brazilian football hierarchy. This means that, on average, there is a fixture that requires investigation once every three days. We would project that, as a minimum number, there will be 100 Brazilian football matches which may be subject to manipulation over the course of the year. This information highlights the need for urgent action across regulation, sportsbook licensing and the sports themselves.
Do you think that in the next few years the presence of Genius Sports in Brazil will be much bigger? Are there plans for new businesses/partnerships in this market?
At its heart, Genius Sports is sports data and technology company that provides critical technical products and services to some of the biggest teams, leagues, federations and sportsbooks around the world. We see the launch of ABRADIE as just the first step of Genius Sports journey in Brazil and we look forward to building and expanding our partnerships across the country.
Source: GMB
