The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) CEO Khalid Ali visited SiGMA’s Malta offices on 10 September for discussions on regulated betting, industry standards, and integrity.
The visit, organized by SiGMA’s B2G department and led by Chief International Relations Officer Heathcliff Farrugia, included a tour of the Malta offices, a meeting with SiGMA team members, and a brief stand-up interview.
The engagement forms part of SiGMA’s B2G efforts to maintain relationships with organisations involved in industry, regulation, policy, and responsible growth.
IBIA, founded in 2005, is a non-profit organisation focused on protecting sports, consumers and regulated betting markets from betting-related corruption. Its membership comprises more than 90 operators representing over 200 brands.
IBIA’s Global Monitoring and Alert Platform (Global MAP) monitors more than 1.5 million sporting events annually, using operator intelligence to identify and share alerts on suspicious betting activity.
According to IBIA’s 2025 Sports Betting Integrity Report, 300 suspicious betting alerts were recorded across 16 sports. Investigations linked to IBIA reports covered as many as 54 suspicious events, resulting in sanctions against 24 players, officials and teams for manipulation.
Its latest integrity report, covering the second quarter of 2026, recorded 76 suspicious alerts across nine sports. The report highlighted the role of operator data, monitoring and intelligence sharing across jurisdictions in supporting investigations.
The discussions between SiGMA and IBIA covered challenges and opportunities in the international betting market, including new technologies, international cooperation, regulatory changes, and data analysis systems.
Both organizations’ focus on integrity also brought attention to transparency, governance, consumer safety, and anti-fraud measures as regulated betting markets expand. The discussion also highlighted collaboration between industry representatives and other stakeholders as a factor in maintaining public trust.
SiGMA said its engagement with organisations such as IBIA extends beyond individual events. Its global summit programme provides a platform for industry leaders and specialist organisations to exchange knowledge across established and emerging markets, with integrity forming part of those discussions.
The collaboration will continue at the SiGMA World Summit in Rome from 2 to 5 November, where IBIA will join international industry associations in delivering specialist workshops.
The summit will include three days of workshops alongside five conference stages, with IBIA’s session focusing on integrity issues facing the global betting industry. Topics will include detecting suspicious betting behaviour, emerging threats to sporting integrity, data sharing and cooperation among gambling operators, regulators, sports organisations, and law enforcement authorities.
The workshop will also provide practical knowledge and skills on strengthening integrity measures aimed at protecting consumers and regulated betting markets.