KSA report shows match-fixing alerts doubled in 2024
Regulator’s analysis highlights 13 suspicious reports from operators in 2024, up from six in 2023, with alerts ranging from betting patterns to suspected manipulated matches
The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) received more than double the number of match-fixing reports from licensed operators in 2024 than it did in 2023.
The regulator’s latest match-fixing trend analysis revealed operators sent 13 match-fixing reports to the Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU) last year, compared to the six sent in 2023.
Reports were sent from eight different sports betting licence holders in the Netherlands. As of 31 December 2024, there were 22 licence holders in the market, with 19 live operators.
Out of the 13 reports, 10 concerned tennis, two were with regards to football and one was related to basketball.
Alerts were either sent after suspicious betting patterns were detected, a suspicious sporting fixture was flagged, or when odds for certain markets were changed drastically.
The SBIU received 10 reports concerning suspicious betting patterns, whereby certain accounts repeatedly bet at very high odds and specific betting options were selected.
Reports also flagged that large amounts of money were repeatedly bet on the same options in a short period of time.
The KSA’s report noted that in each instance, the operator had taken measures to mitigate the risk, by either cancelling the bet or blocking the account.
Two of the 13 reports referred to a potentially suspicious sporting fixture which was included on some operators’ sites.
Those two signals came from an undisclosed international body regarding concerns over the possible manipulation of the game.
The concerned operators conducted internal investigations and opted not to pay out any winnings until the investigations were complete.
The last report the SBIU received concerned an “unexpected” change of odds for a team to win before the start of and during a match.
The KSA said the team in question has been blacklisted by the reporting operator.
The KSA also noted there were zero cases of athletes in the Netherlands betting on their own competition or match they took part in.
The regulator has attributed the rise in alerts to either its own efforts to raise awareness of match-fixing among operators, or a general global increase in match-fixing reports.
A KSA statement read: “Although the number of reports has increased, it remains relatively low. This could be because operators report many match-fixing risks to the FIU and not to the SBIU.
“Another possible explanation is that most cases of gambling-related match-fixing occur within the illegal gambling circuit.
“However, the increase is in line with the international increase in suspicious reports of sports betting.
“Nevertheless, it is up to the KSA to continue to focus on good information on how and when to report, in order to strengthen awareness among license holders and the information position of the KSA.
“The KSA is currently developing a guideline to, among other things, draw attention to this and to provide further tools.”
The KSA also highlighted it issued warnings to four operators over potential match-fixing during 2024.