IBIA launches programme on betting integrity and emerging technology
Regulation2 min read
IBIA launched The Next Bet to discuss technologies, market trends and regulatory issues affecting regulated sports betting and integrity systems. Its first edition covers digital assets, blockchain and payment solutions, with contributions from Malta's Gaming Authority, Betsson Group and Pay4Fun.
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has launched The Next Bet, a programme to discuss technology, market trends and regulatory challenges affecting regulated sports betting and integrity systems. Its first edition covers digital assets, blockchain and payment solutions.
The programme brings together perspectives on how those technologies might affect regulation, consumer protection and fraud prevention in betting. IBIA chief executive Khalid Ali said integrity frameworks needed to anticipate changes and that the programme would allow regulators, operators and sports representatives to exchange views.
The MGA, Betsson Group and Brazilian payments company Pay4Fun contributed to the first edition. The MGA discusses its experience regulating digital assets, while Betsson examines payment preferences and stablecoins, taking into account regulation, fraud prevention and responsible gambling. Pay4Fun addresses payment providers' role in compliance, fraud prevention and transaction monitoring.
Nadia Calleja, Betsson Group's legal director for payments and customer operations, contributed an analysis of changing consumer expectations for payment methods. Betsson Group senior legal counsel Sarah Vassallo said cryptoasset adoption in regulated iGaming would probably focus on regulated stablecoins backed by fiat currencies and integrated into established compliance frameworks.
Pay4Fun chief executive and co-founder Leonardo Baptista said payment providers' compliance, fraud prevention and anti-money laundering controls supported market integrity. He said digital assets could become part of future financial infrastructure if regulation supported security, transparency and trust.
MGA regulatory affairs director Martha Brincat said some blockchain applications could improve transparency and traceability and, when used appropriately, help monitoring, investigations and integrity supervision. She said regulators aimed to ensure that consumers using digital assets did so in a regulated environment covering gambling activity and its supporting financial services.
The programme is part of IBIA's Mission 2030 strategy, which focuses on monitoring and detection, collaboration and prevention. The strategy aims to protect sport, athletes, operators and consumers from match manipulation and fraud.