SPORTS BETTING

UK – BGC and IBIA sign agreement to work closely together to promote sporting integrity

The Betting and Gaming Council and the International Betting Integrity Association have reached an agreement to work closely together to promote sporting integrity.

The two bodies, which represent many of the largest regulated sports betting operators in the world, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding which will see them co-ordinate their global activities in existing and emerging markets.

It will involve a wide range of activities, including sharing information and intelligence about relevant sports betting markets, launching research studies in areas of mutual interest, and delivering effective messages and approaches.

Its core objective will be the establishment of viable regulated betting markets with high standards of consumer, sports and operator protection measures.

Brigid Simmonds, Chairman of the BGC, said: “We are pleased to announce this new partnership, which will help us champion the betting industry internationally. The IBIA is playing a decisive part in ensuring that sports betting markets are properly regulated, and sports integrity is at the core of its action. The BGC will wholeheartedly join this effort and bring its experience and expertise in promoting world class standards in new and emerging sports betting markets.”

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “Both of our associations are active internationally and in many of the same markets, share many of the same members and have many of the same regulatory goals. We’ve already been collaborating in markets such as Brazil and it was a natural progression to a more formal and structured relationship. The scope of our combined membership gives us a powerful mandate to speak on behalf of a large part of the regulated sector and policymakers welcome that level of focused industry engagement.”

Caption: Brigid Simmonds