The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has released its Q1 2025 integrity report, flagging 63 incidents of suspicious betting activity across six sports, spanning 23 countries and five continents.
This figure is 11% higher than the same period last year, though slightly down from the previous quarter’s 65 alerts.
Football remains the sport most vulnerable to suspicious betting, accounting for 31 of the 63 alerts, nearly half the total.
This trend is nothing new; football consistently tops the list for betting integrity concerns, both in Q1 2024 and throughout last year. Tennis, table tennis, and basketball followed, each drawing nine alerts, while esports and horse racing trailed with four and one, respectively.
Geographically, North America led the way with 17 alerts, driven largely by football in Mexico and basketball in the US. South America wasn’t far behind, with 11 alerts-nine of them linked to football betting in Brazil, highlighting ongoing integrity challenges in these rapidly expanding markets.
Europe saw 15 alerts, with table tennis in the Czech Republic and Germany drawing the most attention
The IBIA’s CEO, Khalid Ali, highlighted a “welcome reduction” in tennis alerts, a sport that’s been under the microscope for years.
Table tennis, which saw a spike in Q4 2024, returned to previous levels, suggesting that recent integrity partnerships and protocols may be having an effect.
Despite the overall increase in year-on-year alerts, the report suggests that the industry’s growing vigilance is making a difference.
The IBIA now monitors more than $300bn (~£225.78bn) in annual betting turnover through over 80 members and 140 brands worldwide, covering half of all regulated commercial online betting.
Its upgraded technology and expanded partnerships are designed to detect, report and help sanction corrupt activity before it undermines the industry’s credibility.
The bottom line: while suspicious betting remains a persistent threat-especially in football and emerging markets, the tools to fight back are getting sharper. The IBIA’s latest report is a reminder that integrity in sports betting is a moving target, but one the industry can’t afford to ignore.