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Lack of governance of football friendly (non-competitive) matches exploited by match-fixers

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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.

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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.

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“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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Paf employees donated €125,000

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The Nordic gaming company Paf decided to give all employees the opportunity to donate €125,000 to various good causes, initiatives and projects. The causes were selected through a nomination and voting process by the employees.

All Paf employees were given the opportunity to nominate their own initiatives that they felt were worthy of Paf’s €125,000 donation. Once the nomination process was complete, employees were asked to vote for the initiatives, and it was the employees’ votes that determined which initiatives received the donation and how much of the sum was allocated to each project.

“It’s really important that everyone who works at Paf feels that our core mission is different and that it’s well worth working for. That’s why we wanted to involve the employees and give everyone a direct opportunity to determine the distribution of the donation,” says Paf’s CEO Christer Fahlstedt.

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Paf’s basic purpose is to generate funds for the benefit of society. The annual profit is used as Paf funds for social, environmental, youth, sports and cultural purposes, among others.

Second year in a row

This is the second year in a row that Paf employees have been able to donate a sum of money to various good causes. Last year employees donated €100,000 and this year the amount was increased to €125,000.

“It was a great way to end last year and a good initiative to repeat this year. The donation is not part of Paf’s usual mission and purpose, but it reflects our overall core purpose in an excellent way,’ says Paf CEO Christer Fahlstedt.

The distribution of €125,000

When the employees gathered in December for the annual Christmas speech, the vote was taken and the result determined how the €125,000 would be distributed. The Employee vote gave causes for Ukraine the biggest donation and €40,000, followed by causes against cancer €25,000 and in third place causes for combating abuse of children €15.000.

1. €40.000 – Causes for Ukraine

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2. €25.000 – Causes against cancer

3. €15.000 – Causes for combating abuse of children

4. €12.000 – Causes for Children

5. €9.000 – Causes for Animals

6. €7.000 – The Swedish Brain Foundation (Hjärnfonden)

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7. €6.000 – Medical aid for Palestine

8. €5.000 – Causes for Women

9. €3.500 – Relief efforts – Spanish weather disaster

10. €2.500 – Jesuit Refugee Services Malta

Most votes – top 3

Causes for Ukraine goes to the following initiatives;

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  • Power Up Ukraine, Swedish based, helps with energy solutions

  • Blågula Bilen, Swedish based, donates trucks & 4×4 vehicles with supplies

  • Hospitallers, based in Ukraine, Hospitallers is a volunteer organization of paramedics.

  • Come Back Alive, Ukraine, Demining in Ukraine

  • Safe & Smart, Ukraine based, Restoring hybrid and offline learning in Ukrainian schools

Causes against cancer goes to;

  • Barncancerfonden, Sweden, They help families and contribute to paediatric cancer research with the aim of eradicating childhood cancer

  • Kingitud Elu, Estonia, Estonian Association of Parents of Children with Cancer

  • Rintasyöpäyhdistys, Finland, Europa Donna Finland ry works to increase awareness of breast cancer and improve the quality of life for patients during and after the treatment period

  • Project Liv, Finland, support children with cancer and their families

Causes for combating abuse of children goes to;

  • Internet Watch Foundation, UK, stop child sexual abuse online

  • Anti-Human Trafficking Intelligence Initiative, USA based, end human trafficking and child exploitation

  • Missing Children Europe, protects children from going missing

  • ECPAT, based in Thailand, ensures children live a childhood free from sexual abuse and exploitation

  • La Strada International, Europe, works against human trafficking

  • Prajwala, India, works to end sex trafficking & sex crime

  • Maiti Nepal, Nepal, works for a society free from trafficking of children & women

The nomination and voting process was not open to organisations or initiatives that were already beneficiaries of Paf funds. Since 1966, Paf has distributed more than €447 million in Paf funds. In the spring of 2024, Paf was able to distribute €31.4 million for the benefit of society.

The post Paf employees donated €125,000 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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2025 ICR Conference

Golden Matrix Group to Participate in the 2025 ICR Conference

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Golden Matrix Group Inc., a developer and licensor of online gaming platforms, systems, and gaming content, today announced that management will participate in the 2025 ICR Conference on January 13-15, 2025 at the Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando, FL.

Zoran Milosevic, Chief Executive Officer of Meridianbet, will participate in a fireside chat with an equity research analyst on Monday, January 13, 2025, at 2:30 PM ET and will also be available for meetings during the conference.

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The Power of High Performance: GR8 Tech Achieves 25% Turnover Growth in 2024

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GR8 Tech has successfully closed the year – a 25% year-on-year increase in turnover, dozens of new clients signed, and a significant boost in client revenue. Throughout the year, the company developed nearly 200 new features and improvements, continually enhancing the functionality of its platform. With over 12.4 billion bets placed in 2024 (a 125% increase year-on-year), GR8 Tech has proven its ability to scale and deliver consistent performance, even during the busiest events.

Our primary focus in 2024 was to empower operators with tools for seamless platform customization and streamlined management. We introduced geo-specific solutions that enable faster market launches, adapting platforms to meet local demands—whether through bonus mechanics, payment methods, or tailored content for sportsbook and casino. At the same time, we strengthened our offerings with enhanced sportsbook features, new games in the casino vertical, and innovative gamification mechanics to drive player engagement,” said Denys Parkhomenko, Chief Product Officer at GR8 Tech.

GR8 Tech demonstrated its robust scalability by handling 21.5 million bets during the IPL 2024 alone. With the capacity to process 20,000 bets and 54,000 wallet transactions per second, the platform consistently performs even during high-traffic periods.

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In 2024, GR8 Tech signed numerous long-term partnerships, bringing its total number of projects worldwide to 45+ and proving the growing demand for customizable iGaming solutions. The company also received industry-wide acclaim, securing multiple prestigious awards, such as Silver as the Best Platform Provider of the Year at SBC Awards, “Best Online Sportsbook Provider” at SiGMA Eurasia, “Best Workplace” at SiGMA Americas, and “Rising Star Provider of the Year” at the Affpapa iGaming Awards 2024.

Building on its achievements, GR8 Tech is set for another successful year, continuing to deliver industry-leading solutions for operators around the world.

Improvement and excellence are about consistently staying ahead. A trend might emerge and then disappear tomorrow, but improving your product – making it better than the competition – has lasting value. Whether it’s through better personalization, risk management, recommendations, or any other aspect, improvement is essential. And in this industry, you don’t really have a choice. It’s so fast-paced that if something new and valuable appears, you need to adopt it immediately. The mindset of constant improvement is what keeps a product relevant and competitive,” said Sergey Ghazaryan, CRO at GR8 Tech.

GR8 Tech heads into 2025 with a continued commitment to driving high-performance results, leading industry trends, and challenging the norm.

The post The Power of High Performance: GR8 Tech Achieves 25% Turnover Growth in 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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