IBIA to address North American sports betting explosion with new US and Canada division
Integrity body secures licenses in seven states ahead of Super Bowl LVI with eyes on Ontario
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has launched its integrity monitoring platform in the US and Canadian sports betting markets for the first time.
The launch is the beginning of a process to secure a license in states that require operators to be part of a monitoring body and to engage with gambling regulators more generally across the US.
As part of this, the IBIA has secured licenses in seven US states: Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Wyoming – with others pending.
The association has also applied to the Canadian province of Ontario, which similarly requires operators to be part of an integrity monitoring system.
IBIA CEO Khalid Ali cited the positive aspects of the launch in providing further protection to US players beyond that currently being employed by sportsbook operators.
“With the accelerated growth of regulation, existing IBIA members have encouraged the association to extend its global betting integrity coverage to North America, which we are delighted to do,” Ali said.
“With the largest customer transaction-based betting integrity monitoring system in the world, we will play a crucial role in protecting and supporting the growth of the betting industry in the US and Canada,” he added.
According to latest data from the American Gaming Association, a record 31.4 million US bettors will place bets on Super Bowl LVI, with wagers estimated at $7.61bn on this year’s championship game, up $3.3bn (78%) from last year.
In its US launch, the integrity body has garnered support from FanDuel and DraftKings, allowing the IBIA to oversee sports betting integrity in 60% of the US market.
FanDuel director of risk and trading John Sheeran welcomed the launch, referencing the sportsbook’s “long successful working relationship” and the improvements it had allowed to integrity-based initiatives.
“Expanding an excellent working relationship to include integrity monitoring of North American sports and wagering will add another element of trust and security to our sports betting product, which we know is of the utmost importance to our consumers,” Sheeran added.
“Protecting the integrity of sport while creating an engaging product for sports fans is at the heart of everything we do,” DraftKings VP and head of regulatory affairs Ray Pollitt said.
“We are impressed with the progress IBIA has made in promoting high standards for the betting industry and we warmly welcome their arrival to North America,” he added.