Canadian Gaming Association Signs Pact with International Betting Integrity Association

The Canadian Gaming Association (CGA) announced Monday that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).

What the MOU Means

This signing was done to “provide a framework for cooperation and coordination between IBIA and the CGA on betting and related integrity issues and to protect the Ontario and wider Canadian market, sports, consumers, and regulated betting operators, from corrupt activities,” per the CGA.

The IBIA, dubbed a “voice on integrity,” represents some of the largest licensed and regulated sports betting platforms in the world and covers over $137 billion in transactions globally per year. With the Federal Criminal Code now permitting single-event sports wagering in Canada, this will only add to the pool while needing more regulatory oversight.

Additionally, the IBIA was accredited by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario as an integrity monitor, and all licensed operators in Ontario will now be part of its monitoring system.

Sharing many members, the IBIA and CGA will pursue these projects and partnerships cooperatively.

How Agreement Works

This new pact could include “a wide range of activities, including promoting the commercial and related integrity interests of the two associations’ betting operator members, and establishing a viable regulated betting market with high consumer channeling rates and related consumer, sports, and operator integrity protection measures,” the CGA noted.

“Protecting the integrity of the betting market in Ontario, and indeed the wider Canadian market, is very important to IBIA and its members. We will be seeking to engage with a wide range of key stakeholders on betting and integrity related issues and see the CGA as a pivotal partner in the achievement of that goal,” Khalid Ali, the IBIA’s CEO, said in a news release.

“The CGA has been a driving force behind the evolution of regulated betting in Canada and IBIA views it as a valued and critical partner in the continued development of the sector and in placing sporting and betting integrity at the forefront of that.”

According to the IBIA, gaming regulators, regulated sports markets around the world, and other sports bodies can expect the following:

• Detect and report suspicious activities in betting markets.
• Use detailed market data to investigate and punish corruption.
• Develop education activities to protect players and sporting events.
• Support sports bodies, law enforcement and regulatory authorities in the fight against fraud and manipulation.
• Channel consumers to the onshore regulated market.

“IBIA will be one of only a handful of sports integrity monitors recognized by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario for licensed operators and we believe there is great value in deepening our relationship with the organization,” Paul Burns, President and CEO of the Canadian Gaming Association, said in the release.

“As the CGA looks ahead to the opening of Ontario’s iGaming market and the expansion of sports betting products and services across Canada in 2022, the protection of athletes and integrity of sports betting is a key priority.”