The fight against match-fixing in football continues as Sports Integrity Services (SIS), a division of Starlizard, has released its figures for the first six months of 2024. This comprehensive report scrutinizes tens of thousands of fixtures worldwide, aiming to detect and understand suspicious activities linked to match-fixing. The focus is on both the betting markets and the on-pitch action.
Overall Suspicious Matches
In the first half of 2024, Starlizard’s integrity division flagged 79 football matches globally as suspicious. These matches are characterized by irregularities that suggest possible manipulation, either through betting markets or the performance on the field.
Regional Insights: CONMEBOL
A significant concern highlighted in the report is the alarming increase in suspicious matches within the CONMEBOL region. There has been a staggering 200% rise year-on-year in identified suspicious matches, reaching a total of 33 for the period from January to June 2024. This marks a notable increase from the previous year’s figures and raises serious questions about the integrity of football in this region.
UEFA Region and Domestic Competitions
In the UEFA region, 29 matches across 23 countries were flagged for integrity concerns. Although this figure represents a decrease from 40 alerts in the same period last year, it still highlights ongoing issues. Notably, the decrease suggests some progress in combating match-fixing, but the problem remains pervasive.
Club Friendly Matches
An interesting development is the rise in suspicious activities within club friendly matches. Despite representing only 4% of the total games look, seven of these friendly matches were identified as suspicious. This suggests that even less formal fixtures are becoming targets for match-fixers.
Expert Commentary
Affy Sheikh, the Head of Starlizard Integrity Services, commented on the troubling trends revealed in the 2024 half-year figures. Sheikh highlighted the stark increase in suspicious matches in the CONMEBOL region and emphasized that match-fixers are continually adapting and exploiting vulnerabilities. The data serves as a critical reminder of the need for vigilance and robust measures to protect the integrity of football.
Sheikh also pointed out a rising trend in manipulation related to first-half-only betting markets. In the first six months of 2024, 40 matches were targeted in this way, up from 21 during the same period in 2023. This represents a significant rise and indicates a new area of concern for integrity services.
Broader Context: IBIA Q2 Report
In related news, the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) released its Q2 report, which highlighted 90 alerts of suspicious betting activities across several sports, not limited to football. This broader context emphasizes that issues of match-fixing and suspicious betting are not isolated to football but are part of a larger problem affecting various sports.
The first half of 2024 has presented a challenging landscape for sports integrity, with significant increases in suspicious activities, particularly in the CONMEBOL region. While there are some signs of progress, such as the decrease in alerts within the UEFA region, the rise in first-half-only betting manipulation and the continued targeting of club friendly matches underscore the need for ongoing vigilance and action.
The data provided by SIS and the IBIA highlights the evolving nature of match-fixing and the need for continuous adaptation of strategies to safeguard the integrity of football and other sports. The fight against match-fixing is far from over, and these reports serve as a crucial reminder of the persistent threats faced by the sporting world.