Match-fixing is nothing new in sports. There are several reasons that lead a person or a group to try to illegally interfere with the integrity of competitions in various sports around the world. Now Brazil is the ball of the hour on the world stage when it comes to the subject.
With the advancement of investigations by the Goiás Public Prosecutor's Office in relation to crimes involving the country's main sporting product, all global sports entities are closely observing how the country deals, in the legal, political and sporting spheres, with the cheating that took place over the course of 2022 in sport, which is an important part of the national identity.
The integrity of the sport is based solely and exclusively on the commitment of athletes and teams to the competitive spirit. If there is no dispute, it is not a sport. And, if it's not sport, the emotional involvement of those who watch and the economic movement that orbit the event disappear, triggering a strong social impact.
Few people know, but, to protect competitiveness, companies in the betting sector act together to guarantee it. After all, unpredictability is what makes people interested in any competition and, consequently, place their bets according to their anticipated interpretation of scenarios that may happen in an event. In other words, without integrity there is no risk. No risk, no gamble.
That is why regulated markets and sports entities around the world see the sports betting segment as an ally to combat the problem of match-fixing.
One of the most emblematic lessons of this global effort deals precisely with betting options, such as corner kicks, throw-ins, bookings and penalties markets. The prohibition of these categories in some countries did not have an effect in curbing manipulations, because in a globalized world, criminals ended up making the same bet in other parts of the planet. So, the problem continued to exist.
To avoid this type of situation, there is the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), an entity located in Belgium and which is the main guardian of sporting integrity in the world. It does global betting monitoring in conjunction with over 120 companies, operating in over 45 countries. In the face of any abnormality, IBIA sends alerts to the main sports entities and legal authorities where the activity is regulated.
The approximation of IBIA to the Ministries of Finance and Sports, intermediated by the IBJR, indicates a good start on the journey towards the creation of robust legislation and the effective integrity of competitions of all modalities. IBIA can help Brazil to create and adapt parameters and precepts already applied in successful markets around the world.
Meanwhile, companies in the segment are waiting with anticipation for Brazilian regulation, so that they can work together with government spheres to develop a new sector in the national economy, fully adapted to the technological advances of the beginning of this century.
André Gelfi
CEO of the Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR)
