Africa records lowest share of global suspicious betting alerts, highlighting strong regulatory oversight
The IBIA reports 300 suspicious betting alerts worldwide, with Africa posting the lowest share and showing growing regulatory strength across its expanding betting markets.
Kenya.- Africa recorded the lowest number of suspicious betting alerts globally in 2025, according to the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), highlighting the region’s comparatively low exposure to betting integrity risks.
IBIA’s annual integrity report revealed that its monitoring system flagged 300 suspicious betting alerts worldwide across 16 sports during 2025, representing a 29 per cent increase from 232 alerts in 2024. Of these, Europe accounted for 35 per cent, North America 16 per cent, South America 15 per cent, Asia 13 per cent and Africa 10 per cent – the lowest share of the major continents. A further 11 per cent of alerts were classified as global or unassigned, largely linked to esports events.
Football remained the most affected sport, accounting for 37 per cent of all cases, followed by tennis with 25 per cent. Table tennis and esports each recorded 11 per cent, while basketball generated 9 per cent, with the remaining alerts spread across eleven other sports.
Africa’s comparatively low alert figures reflect improved regulatory oversight and closer collaboration between regulators, operators and integrity bodies across the continent. Several African markets, including Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana, have strengthened licensing frameworks and compliance measures, contributing to the continent’s comparatively low share of suspicious betting alerts.
IBIA flags betting risks
IBIA CEO Khalid Ali highlighted the report’s key findings, noting the main sports affected and the growth in monitoring capabilities. “Our 2025 data highlights a familiar integrity risk pattern, with football and tennis continuing to account for most suspicious betting activity,” he said. He added that the Global Monitoring and Alert Platform had expanded its reach and analytical capabilities, enhancing IBIA’s ability to detect, assess and support investigations across multiple markets and sports.
IBIA’s report highlighted the real-world impact of its monitoring, confirming 54 matches were proven corrupted in 2025, leading to sanctions against 24 players, teams or officials across five sports. Its Global Monitoring and Alert Platform now tracks over 1.5 million matches across 80+ sports, enhancing its support for investigations worldwide.
For Africa, the data offers a positive signal, as betting markets continue to expand and stakeholders increasingly prioritise responsible gambling, integrity compliance and regulatory transparency.
