The betting integrity reports have been released by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC). These reports contain a detailed analysis of all sports betting activities in the UK, based on briefs sent in from sports governing bodies, betting operators, sport and betting trade associations, and law enforcement representatives.
The report helps the UKGC identify rising complexities in sports betting like match-fixing and gameplay disruptions so they can be adequately handled. Savvy bettors can benefit from the information in the reports, and they can make better-informed decisions when betting on esports.
Unfortunately, the current reports have evoked concerns about the events in esports. Football alone accounted for 44% of the reported integrity issues. Tennis followed next with 21% and esports with 20%. Other sports contributed to the remaining 15% (iGaming Business, 2021).
This is the first report published since the policy on all licensees submitting details of integrity issues to the Gambling Commission’s Sports Betting Intelligence Unit was implemented on April 1. The policy was part of an amendment to the UKGC’s license Condition and Codes of Practice in October 2020.
Factors Affecting Esports Betting Integrity
With the rise in popularity of esports among professional bettors mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several reports have been received on issues that potentially influence the different games under esports (Esports Insider, 2020).
Some of these issues may be classified under the following:
- Technological issues
- Institutional issues
- Player issues
Esports relies on the internet, hence a lot of concerns have arisen due to glitches during the game of play, game bugs that may cause issues, favoring a player over another, and the rising issue of deliberate server attacks by hackers.
Many institutions are known to have corrupt officials and technicians that have the power to illegally influence a game, and several of these institutions do not have a responsible gambling policy in place to protect their players.
The players too are not left out of the situation, as some of them are guilty of taking certain substances to enhance their performance. Some players also agree to match-fixing and abuse their opponents physically and mentally to get an edge over them (Liebertpub, 2021).
Plans by the UKGC for the Sports Betting Industry
The UK Gambling Commission has released the yearly Action Plan for the Sports Betting Integrity. It details the Sports Betting Integrity Forum (SBIF) objectives for keeping the sports betting industry in Britain as safe as possible. The objectives include accommodating the effects of the recent pullout from the EU by the UK government and COVID-19 (iGaming Business, 2021).
In addition to this, the regulatory body also empowered SBIF to redesign its official website to make resources on betting integrity more accessible. This serves as an educational resource for the Betting industry in the UK as it comes in the form of a training module.
Sources:
- iGaming Business, 2021
https://igamingbusiness.com/gambling-commission-integrity-data-shows-growth-in-esports-reports/ - Liebertpub, 2021
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/glr2.2020.0017 - Esports Insider, 2020
https://esportsinsider.com/2020/04/esi-gambling-report-esports-betting/
