Canadian Gaming Association enters integrity agreement with International Betting Integrity Association
The CGA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the IBGA to help protect Ontario and the wider Canadian market
The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) has entered into an agreement with the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The purpose of the agreement is to provide a framework for cooperation and coordination between the two organisations on betting and related integrity issues, as well as help the Canadian market, sports consumers, and regulated betting operators from corrupt activities.
The agreement will also see several collaborative projects between the two organisations, including the promotion of integrity ventures with the aim to detect and report suspicious activities in betting markets, investigate and punish corruption, educate players and sporting events, channel consumers to the onshore regulated market and support sports bodies, law enforcement and regulatory authorities fight against fraud and manipulation.
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “Protecting the integrity of the betting market in Ontario, and indeed the wider Canadian market, is very important to IBIA and its members. We will be seeking to engage with a wide range of key stakeholders on betting and integrity-related issues and see the CGA as a pivotal partner in the achievement of that goal.
“The CGA has been a driving force behind the evolution of regulated betting in Canada, and IBIA views it as a valued and critical partner in the continued development of the sector and in placing sporting and betting integrity at the forefront of that,” Ali added.
Paul Burns, President and CEO of the CGA, commented: “IBIA will be one of only a handful of sports integrity monitors recognized by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) for licensed operators, and we believe there is great value in deepening our relationship with the organisation.”
“As the CGA looks ahead to the opening of Ontario’s igaming market and the expansion of sports betting products and services across Canada in 2022, the protection of athletes and the integrity of sports betting is a key priority,” he added.
This move comes months after single-event sports betting was legalised in Canada. Ontario is set to go live on April 4, so this agreement has come at a good time as the Canadian market is set to burst into life.