Sports betting integrity: IBIA completes educational programme with PFA Canada

The International Betting Integrity Association held an anti-match-fixing education course with the Professional Footballers’ Association Canada.

Canada.- The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has concluded its anti-match-fixing education programme with the Professional Footballers’ Association Canada (PFA Canada). Nearly 200 players in Canadian Premier League (CPL) teams took part.

The programme was made possible by a CA$300,000 ($217,600) three-year fund supported by bet365, Betway and FanDuel. It provided free in-person training and online resources delivered by the PFA Canada through its Protecting the Integrity of the Game workshops. The programme started in Ontario and finished in Alberta, covering teams in Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and British Colombia.

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IBIA said that in addition to highlighting the potential threats from sports betting-related match-fixing, the programme educated players on rules and sanctions, the scale and accuracy of technology-enabled sports integrity monitoring, and how to report criminals and corrupters using the red button app.

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA said: “We take our responsibility to protect regulated sports betting markets, sports and athletes seriously. Decades of experience has shown that a combination of efficient regulation, education and collaboration are essential to safeguarding the sports integrity ecosystem. We are delighted that the PFA Canada education program has been so successful and look forward to year two of the project.”

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Marco Carducci, Cavalry FC & President of PFA Canada, added: “The IBIA sports betting integrity training, in partnership with PFA Canada, was an incredibly beneficial experience for our players. Effective and easy-to-understand, it made clear what professional athletes need to know about sports betting integrity and how to report attempted corruption. We are grateful for IBIA’s support to help safeguard the integrity of the game and to protect and educate our players.”

Dan Kruk, executive director, PFA Canada, commented: “Through our work with IBIA, nearly 200 Canadian Premier League players attended PFA Canada’s Protecting the Integrity of the Game workshop this season. As a result, stakeholders can be confident our members know their obligations regarding gambling and match-fixing in their sport, how to recognize an approach to fix a match, and crucially, their duty to report any person attempting to manipulate a match.”