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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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Marc Burroughes has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of EveryMatrix’s Casino division, driven by CasinoEngine, the group’s flagship integration platform powering global tier-1 operators to record growth.
Burroughes has spent close to two decades in the iGaming industry including senior roles at IGT, Light & Wonder and OpenBet with extensive commercial experience setting strategies and managing tier-1 customers in integrating content from leading game studios, platforms and aggregation solutions.
Reporting to casino business unit CEO Stian Enger, he will be responsible for commercial strategy across EveryMatrix’s CasinoEngine business unit that generated €2.8 billion in Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) for customers in 2024, processing more than 73 billion game rounds.
His new CCO role involves a multitude of responsibilities including defining and setting the commercial strategy for CasinoEngine; delivering the forthcoming EngageSuite ecosystem to existing and new clients; working closely with the SlotMatrix and EveryMatrix Games teams to help customers move to a full platform solution and more.
Ebbe Groes, Group CEO and Co-Founder, EveryMatrix, said: “Marc has a strong track record working in senior positions for some of the industry’s major providers and delivering premium casino solutions for tier-1 brands.
“As we continue to grow at pace, and as our casino business unit goes from strength-to-strength, we’re looking to accelerate this even further in the months and years ahead under Marc’s commercial leadership.”
Marc Burroughes, CCO, Casino, EveryMatrix, said: “When the opportunity came to join EveryMatrix on their journey to rapid growth there was only one answer I could give.
“The group’s casino division is among the best I’ve seen in my 17 years in the industry and it still has room to significantly grow. I want to maximise all the opportunities we’ve identified and I’m confident we can achieve some big targets.”
The post Marc Burroughes appointed Chief Commercial Officer Casino at EveryMatrix appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Aristocrat Interactive
Logifuture enters Mexico as Zoom Soccer via Aristocrat Interactive partnership
Logifuture, a leading supplier of award-winning iGaming products, has entered the Mexican market with Zoom Soccer, via its partnership with Aristocrat Interactive.
Zoom Soccer is a one-of-a-kind 24/7 virtual sports feed that delivers ultra-realistic, fully simulated matches and outcomes, featuring teams and leagues designed to feel familiar to fans. Built to complement real football offerings, it provides a non-stop, immersive betting experience.
With over 30,000 additional pre-match and in-play betting events each month, Zoom Soccer ensures sportsbooks stay engaging – not just during off-seasons but also during quieter moments of the day or week when real football options are limited. Thanks to existing partner integrations, it attracts tens of millions of bets every month.
The integration of Zoom Soccer is facilitated by Logifuture’s existing collaboration with Aristocrat Interactive. Through Aristocrat’s digital gaming platform, Logifuture is bringing its sophisticated products to millions of players across emerging markets, including Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Central America.
Niccolo Cassettari, Chief Business Development Officer at Logifuture, said : “We’re thrilled that sports fans in Mexico will now be able to experience Zoom Soccer, our 24/7 feed of virtual leagues built for sportsbook users. Offering both pre-match and in-play betting, it delivers an experience that closely mirrors real football, keeping users always engaged.
“As the demand for engaging nonstop sports content grows, this integration helps operators deliver. With a broader pre-match lineup and a live section constantly packed with soccer events, Zoom Soccer enhances the sportsbook experience for customers in Mexico.”
Morten Hauge, Head of Sports at Aristocrat Interactive iGaming & Sports, said: “Our partnership with Logifuture allows us to bring innovative and engaging virtual sports experiences to new audiences.
“The addition of Zoom Soccer in Mexico is a great example of how we’re expanding our digital portfolio to meet the growing demand for high-quality, immersive betting content. We’re excited to see how players respond and look forward to continued collaboration with Logifuture.”
The post Logifuture enters Mexico as Zoom Soccer via Aristocrat Interactive partnership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Award-winning slots provider delivers array of top-performing titles to Latvian operator via Relax Gaming’s aggregation platform
Playson, the accomplished digital entertainment supplier, has continued to cement its impressive European market presence after launching its games portfolio with Latvian operator Fenikss.
Operating under the industry renowned NOVOMATIC group, Fenikss is one of Latvia’s leading operators with a vast online and land-based slot offering and comprehensive sportsbook.
The agreement sees Playson support Fenikss’ commercial ambitions and expansion strategy with the supplier’s leading titles, including Royal Coins 2: Hold and Win, Book of Gold: Multichance, and Royal Joker: Hold and Win, now available on the operator’s website.
Playson continues to strengthen its European footprint and the latest integration, facilitated by Relax Gaming’s aggregation platform, underlines the supplier’s commitment to establishing itself within highly mature regulated markets.
Blanka Homor, Sales Director at Playson, said: “We are pleased to enjoy further growth in Europe with this exciting partnership with Fenikss, who will benefit from an array of our strongest performing titles.
“We are confident Fenikss’ significant Latvian presence, combined with our stimulating and graphically driven slots, will lead to impressive business growth.
Martins Opmanis, Head of I-Gaming Department at Fenikss, said: “Playson’s slots continue to be in high demand across Europe and we are delighted to host a selection of their titles on our online platform.
“We are confident they will complement our diverse offering perfectly and look forward to watching this collaboration flourish.”
The post Playson powers ahead in Europe with Fenikss partnership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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