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Lack of governance of football friendly (non-competitive) matches exploited by match-fixers
Football friendly matches are wide open for match-fixing due to a lack of regulation according to new research, with more than 250 friendlies involving European clubs showing signs of suspicious activity during 2016-20. The results come from a three-year study funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme and led by the University of Nicosia Research Foundation.
A survey of 700 players in Cyprus, Greece and Malta conducted by the project also found that:
- More than a quarter of players (26.5%) had played in a club friendly they suspected had been manipulated.
- More than a quarter (26.3%) of approaches to fix a friendly match were made by club officials and 15% by other players.
- Club officials were the instigators in 19% of approaches to manipulate friendlies and were the main beneficiaries in 26.3% of approaches.
The research study found that international and national football federations have been slow to establish where responsibility lies for friendlies, particularly when clubs from different countries are involved in non-competitive matches played in a third country. Some European football federations do not track where clubs go on pre-season and mid-winter tours.
This lack of sporting governance and regulation, combined with the availability of these games on betting markets around the world, notably with poorly or unregulated betting operators in jurisdictions such as Curaçao and the Philippines, who may themselves have links to criminality, leaves these games at greater risk of potential exploitation by match-fixers.
To address this, the report, Combating Match Fixing in Club Football Non-Competitive Friendlies, proposes:
- That UEFA enforces regulation of friendlies on all 55 member associations
- That match agents are barred from owning or controlling clubs, just as players agents are
- The formation of a body to represent match agents in future negotiations with international bodies such as FIFA and UEFA on regulation
- Establishing data standards that prevent the sale of live match data to poorly and unregulated betting operators
Unlike competitive matches, which are usually covered by agreements between data companies and competition organisers, friendlies are a free-for-all.
Data from these games is being collected and sold to poorly and unregulated betting operators, which do not report signs of suspicious activity, which is often a licensing requirement for well-regulated operators. This sporting event data collation and sale for betting does not currently fall within the scope of regulation, leaving a potential ‘blind spot’ in terms of market and consumer protection.
Lead investigator, Professor Nicos Kartakoullis, President of the Council, University of Nicosia, comments:
“The combination of a lack of regulation, oversight and information makes these matches easier to manipulate than competitive matches.
“This research shows that in terms of governance, friendly matches need to be considered just like competitive matches.
“With the data for 4,000 friendly matches being offered for betting purposes around the world each year, it is also vital that the betting companies receiving that data are operating from well-regulated jurisdictions and report suspicious betting to protect the integrity of those events.”
The research was led by the University of Nicosia Research Foundation and included the International Betting Integrity Association, EU Athletes, CIES and the football players unions of Cyprus, Greece and Malta as project partners.
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Tebex connects to the Paysafe API, extending beyond PaysafeCard to card processing and alternative payment methods including Openbucks in the US.
Paysafe (NYSE: PSFE) has expanded its partnership with video game monetization platform Tebex, adding card payments and additional alternative payment methods (APMs) through a single integration to the Paysafe API. The update was announced July 7, 2026 in London.
Tebex has integrated the Paysafe Gateway to support credit and debit card processing alongside APMs. Tebex said its checkout has offered Paysafe’s prepaid eCash product PaysafeCard since 2016, and the new API integration connects Tebex to a broader set of Paysafe payment products.
The integration also links Tebex to Paysafe’s branded APMs. Tebex Checkout is already live with Openbucks, which enables US gamers to pay online with cash using third-party gift cards purchased in-store at “67K+ locations,” or via Openbucks’ Obucks digital card sold through authorized online resellers.
Zak Cutler, President of Global Gaming at Paysafe, said: “We’re delighted to broaden our partnership with Tebex. In a highly competitive market, video game creatives need to satisfy gamers’ increasingly diverse transactional expectations. By connecting the Tebex Checkout to an exhaustive range of payment options, including recognizable brands like our Openbucks solution, the Paysafe Gateway will give Tebex and its customers an edge when it comes to streamlining, simplifying and ultimately optimizing the monetization of gaming.”
Liam Wiltshire, Vice President and GM of Tebex, commented: “At Tebex, we know payments are more than a transaction. They’re a critical part of how studios build relationships with their players and grow their games. Acting as an extension of the studio, our role is to remove the complexity of global payments, compliance, and support so teams can focus on creating amazing experiences. Expanding our partnership with Paysafe allows Tebex to offer greater choice and flexibility at checkout, helping our partners reach more players, reduce friction, and unlock new opportunities for growth.”
The post Paysafe expands Tebex checkout integration to add cards and more APMs appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Expanded partnership sees video gaming monetization platform Tebex integrate to Paysafe API for card payments and multiple alternative payment methods
Paysafe (NYSE: PSFE), a global payments platform, today announced its expanded partnership with Tebex, the game monetization extension and growth platform for game servers and game studios. Tebex, which acts as an extension of a gaming studio, has integrated the Paysafe Gateway into its platform to enable video game merchants to provide their customers with true optionality when they transact – from card payments to alternative payment methods (APMs).
The Tebex Checkout has featured Paysafe’s flagship prepaid eCash solution PaysafeCard since 2016, and now, through a single, streamlined integration with the Paysafe API, it is connected to the company’s complete range of payment solutions. This includes seamless credit card and debit card payments, with all transactions processed in seconds by Paysafe.
The Gateway also connects Tebex to Paysafe’s suite of branded APMs, with the Tebex Checkout already live with the company’s Openbucks solution. Boasting strong brand recognition in the American video gaming community, this APM allows US gamers to pay online with cash using third-party gift cards, which can be bought in-store at 67K+ locations, or Openbucks’ own Obucks digital card, available for purchase online via authorized resellers.
With Openbucks and future Paysafe-powered solutions, Tebex continues to expand its network of local and alternative payment methods, enabling studios to reach players in more markets with payment options that reflect regional preferences and improve conversion rates with a seamless player experience.
Zak Cutler, President of Global Gaming at Paysafe, said: “We’re delighted to broaden our partnership with Tebex. In a highly competitive market, video game creatives need to satisfy gamers’ increasingly diverse transactional expectations. By connecting the Tebex Checkout to an exhaustive range of payment options, including recognizable brands like our Openbucks solution, the Paysafe Gateway will give Tebex and its customers an edge when it comes to streamlining, simplifying and ultimately optimizing the monetization of gaming.”
Liam Wiltshire, Vice President and GM of Tebex, commented: “At Tebex, we know payments are more than a transaction. They’re a critical part of how studios build relationships with their players and grow their games. Acting as an extension of the studio, our role is to remove the complexity of global payments, compliance, and support so teams can focus on creating amazing experiences. Expanding our partnership with Paysafe allows Tebex to offer greater choice and flexibility at checkout, helping our partners reach more players, reduce friction, and unlock new opportunities for growth.”
The post Paysafe strengthens Tebex’s payment offering for video gaming industry appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
F*Bastards says its casino content is now available through more than 400 operators worldwide, marking a distribution milestone for the iGaming supplier as it continues to expand its portfolio and partner network.
In a company statement outlining its background, Co-Founder Ugnius Seskas said the team’s earlier attempt to build a game studio fell short due to positioning rather than production capability. “Looking back, we realised we weren’t missing talent. We were missing identity. We could build games, but we hadn’t built something people could remember. That lesson became the starting point for everything F*Bastards would later become.” says Co-Founder Ugnius Seskas.
The company said it intentionally built its brand around differentiation, including the decision to use the name F*Bastards despite the expectation it would split opinion among potential partners. The founders described early progress as incremental, driven by game releases, industry events, operator feedback and relationship-building, rather than a single breakout moment.
F*Bastards also pointed to a fundraising milestone in 2026, saying it secured its first seven-figure investment. The company positioned the round as validation of execution rather than an early-stage concept.
“From day one, the goal wasn’t to become the biggest supplier. It was to build something people would remember. We’ve come a long way, but in many ways, it still feels like we’re only getting started” says Co-Founder Ugnius Seskas.
The post F*Bastards says it now distributes content via 400+ operators worldwide appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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