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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.

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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Plaza Hotel & Casino books Bolero – The Show for June 20 one-night run

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Latin music-and-dance production led by Las Vegas-based producer Adan Alejandro plays the Plaza showroom at 7:30 p.m.

Plaza Hotel & Casino will host Bolero – The Show for a one-night performance in its showroom on Saturday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m.

The production is billed as a Latin music-and-dance show featuring a live band, singers, and dancers, with influences including bolero, flamenco, salsa, tango, mambo, and other Latin rhythms.

Bolero – The Show is led by Las Vegas-based producer, singer, and songwriter Adan Alejandro. The Plaza said the show’s production team and performers have roots in the Latin entertainment community and experience performing in Las Vegas and other venues across the US and Latin America.

Tickets are now on sale for the June 20 performance.

The post Plaza Hotel & Casino books Bolero – The Show for June 20 one-night run appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Bolero – The Show performs for one night only at the Plaza Hotel & Casino, Saturday, June 20

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The Plaza Hotel & Casino welcomes Bolero – The Show to its classic Vegas showroom for one night only, Saturday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Bolero – The Show is a bohemian Latin musical blending Latin rhythm, passionate dance, and timeless love songs. Featuring a live band, singers, and dancers, the show creates an immersive and elegant experience inspired by bolero, flamenco, and Latin music.

Led by Las Vegas-based producer, singer, and songwriter Adan Alejandro, the production team and show performers have roots in the Latin entertainment community and many years of experience performing live music and entertainment events in Las Vegas and other venues across the United States and Latin America.

Bolero – The Show is designed as an immersive live entertainment experience that blends music, dance, and theatrical elements inspired by Afro-Caribbean and Latin American traditions. The production combines bolero, salsa, tango, flamenco, mambo, and other Latin rhythms in a format created specifically for the Las Vegas showroom environment.

With a live band, dancers and vocal performers, Bolero – The Show creates a large-scale Latin musical and theatrical experience with an emphasis on rhythm, movement, passion, and audience connection that is designed specifically for the Plaza’s showroom.

Tickets are now on sale for the June 20th performance at Bolero – A Bohemian Latin Musical – Plaza Hotel and Casino.

 

The post Bolero – The Show performs for one night only at the Plaza Hotel & Casino, Saturday, June 20 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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ANJL challenges Rio Grande do Sul law banning lottery advertising in court

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The National Association of Gaming and Lotteries (ANJL) is challenging, in court, Law No. 16.508/2026, enacted in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which bans lottery advertising in the state.

The entity has filed a Direct Action of Unconstitutionality (ADI No. 7971) before the Federal Supreme Court (STF), arguing that the state law interferes with matters under federal jurisdiction, particularly by imposing restrictions with direct effects on broadcasting activities and on the placement of advertising in media outlets regulated at the federal level.

The central issue in the dispute goes beyond the lottery market.

The controversy primarily concerns the limits of state authority over advertising content broadcast on radio, television, and other media subject to nationwide federal regulation.

By establishing a broad advertising ban, the state law creates practical obstacles for broadcasters, media outlets, agencies, and operators acting in compliance with federal legislation, generating legal uncertainty about which messages can be transmitted, through which channels, and under what conditions.

According to the association, the state restriction also creates a significant regulatory issue: by preventing advertising from companies authorized and supervised at the federal level, the law reduces the communication capacity of the legal market without effectively addressing illegal platforms operating outside the regulatory framework and ignoring public authority restrictions.

In practice, the measure may shift the debate away from consumer protection toward a generalized restriction on communication, with direct impacts on broadcasting and on the freedom to advertise lawful products.

For ANJL, responsible advertising is an essential tool to differentiate licensed operators from illegal websites.

It is through advertising that consumers can identify regulated companies, protection mechanisms, official channels, and responsible gaming practices.

A broad ban, on the other hand, tends to create asymmetry: while legal companies lose the ability to communicate through formal and auditable channels, unlicensed operators continue using aggressive, unregulated strategies often aimed at vulnerable audiences, without any state control.

The post ANJL challenges Rio Grande do Sul law banning lottery advertising in court appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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