Sportradar announces launch of new fraud detection system

Added: February 16, 2021

Sportradar Integrity Services has launched its newest service, which is set to be provided completely free to all sports organizations across the globe.

The ‘Universal Fraud Detection System’ or UFDS is a cutting-edge monitoring network fully funded by the company, and identifies all instances of match fixing and dubious betting activity worldwide.

600,000 games were monitored by the Fraud Detection System in 2020 across 1,000 varying worldwide sports leagues in 26 different sports.

Sportradar Group CEO Carsten Koerl commented on this launch saying:

We believe that integrity is fundamental to public confidence in sport, and that wrongdoing at any tier of competition affects all levels of sports and its fans. Today marks a very special day in the history of our company, as we announce the upcoming launch of our core bet monitoring system, at no financial charge to any sports federation or league that wants to use it.

By making this significant investment in integrity via the UFDS initiative, we are demonstrating our commitment to support the sustainability of sport around the globe. We are continuing to upscale our technology and operation to handle this considerable undertaking, and as well as providing it to new partners we have already set about discussing and implementing the UFDS with our 70+ existing FDS partners. We are very excited to launch this exciting initiative and add to the proven track record of our integrity team, by ensuring the UFDS plays a major role in protecting the integrity of the sports we all love in the decades to come.”

This is expected to be distributed in October of this year, and the company has made plans to speak ‘to sporting bodies so they can understand the service being offered, and will continue to upscale their technology and operation to deliver this ambitious undertaking’.

Sportradar Integrity Services’ FDS has weeded out 5,300 matches and labeled them as being suspicious over the past 15 or so years. It supported over 400 disciplinary sanctions and more than 30 criminal convictions against the people who were involved in corruption in sports.

Asian Football Confederation’s Head of Integrity Ahmed Alosaymi also said:

We have worked with Sportradar since 2013, and their data-driven approach to utilising the latest technology, matched with the professional experience of their analysts, has allowed us to be at the forefront of ensuring integrity for football in Asia. With more matches happening each season, coupled with the tremendous popularity of Asian Football, ensuring we have the right partner that delivers us results is key. The AFC has worked very closely with Sportradar to bring several cases to justice. We believe that this move of the offering of UFDS will help protect the integrity of sports globally, giving leagues and federations at all levels the opportunity to safeguard their sport and competitions for all their stakeholders.

Before this launch was announced, the firm released its Social Media Integrity Education Service. The goal of this service is to offer tools to stakeholders and athletes in the community that recognise integrity risks in social media platforms.

The International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions mentioned:

The IOC’s OM Unit PMC welcomes this significant commitment by its longstanding partner Sportradar. It continues to be important for all sporting organisations to understand the most sustainable way to protect sports from competition manipulation. Utilising this substantial investment by Sportradar with its proven and reliable bet monitoring of the global betting market can be the foundation for a holistic integrity programme. Therefore, all sporting organisations are reminded once again, that an all-encompassing approach – as in the OM Unit PMC’s specific ’3 Pillar Strategy’ – is fundamental in order to achieve sustainable and long-term results.

iGaming, Sportradar, UFDC