January 10 – Match-fixing has reversed several years of growth and is now on the decline, according to the 2024 Sportradar annual integrity report report.
Based on the monitoring of more than 850,000 matches across 70 sports, Sportradar identified 1,108 suspicious matches across 12 sports in 95 countries in 2024. A year-on-year decline of 17% against 2023.
Football is still by far the sport most affected by suspected match-fixing with 721 suspicious
matches identified compared to 187 in basketball, the second highest affected sport.
Europe registered the highest number of suspicious matches with 439 identified compared to 668 in 2023. But Sportradar points out the Europe also saw the most significant reduction in suspicious match numbers, with a decrease of 229 cases, a 34% reduction year-on-year.
Africa also finished with a considerable decline in suspicious matches with 69 detected, a 36% decrease from 108 matches the year before.
A notable victory in the battle against match-fixing has been achieved in Brazil which has been plagued by match-fixing cases in recent years, but in 2024 showed a decrease of 48% with 57 suspicious matches recorded, down from 110 in 2023.
Andreas Krannich, Executive Vice President, Integrity, Rights Protection & Regulatory Services, Sportradar, said: “While the notable reduction in suspicious matches in 2024 gives us reason to be optimistic, it also signals the need for continued vigilance and innovation, given that the number remains significant.”
The message is that while the number of matches registering as suspicious via the monitoring systems has decreased, match-fixers are highly adaptable and flexible, and rather than being beaten, they are likely to only be reloading.
Sportradar noted “a robust response” from governing bodies once suspicious matches had been identified. A total of 104 sanctions were brought against match-fixers operating in seven different sports across 15 countries. However, the issues of investigating and winning civil court convictions against organised crime gangs operating across multiple legal jurisdictions still remains a challenge.
Sportradar said continual improvements in monitoring technology and the increased use of AI in its systems will be key in keeping ahead of the sport integrity threats and criminal gangs.
“Our investment in innovation combined with data insights into the betting industry and continued education on integrity are at the forefront of keeping pace with the ever-evolving global sports integrity landscape. We remain committed to refining our methods and capabilities and collaborating across the sports and betting industries to support foundational fair play and safeguard the integrity of sports worldwide,” said Krannich.
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