The Global Lottery Monitoring System plans to mitigate illegal esports betting practices after becoming a fully fledged member of the Esports Integrity Coalition, and ESSA reports an increase in Q1, 2018 suspicious betting alerts.
When Bayern Munich’s goalkeeper, Sven Ulreich, inexplicably rolled over the ball to allow Karim Benzema to send Real Madrid into another Champions League final, I couldn’t help wonder if someone had bribed him.
The thought was instinctual, and yet, it wasn’t that long ago, that a cock-up of Bruce Grobbelaar proportions would have been put down to a simple mistake, and not potential cooking of the books.
How things have changed.
The Global Lottery Monitoring System (GLMS) grew out of a body of people keen to keep ‘integrity’ as a core value of our sporting systems. As we head towards a technological singularity, never before has it been so simple to place a bet, and therefore rig one.
The GLMS has hubs in both Denmark and Hong Kong and has 27 partners throughout the globe, united in scrutinising betting patterns to identify potential leaks in the security systems of those earning a crust from the sports betting business, including the worldwide lottery organisations.
As the weekend died in glorious sunshine, the GLMS turned its attention to the world of esports and decided the best way to ensure the same practices that have plagued football and tennis don’t repeat via a joystick and headset, was to join the Esports Integrity Coalition (ESIC).
GLMS President, Ludovico Calvi, believes now is the time to act as the global appeal of digital entertainment amongst millennials shifts to an unprecedented level. Ian Smith, ESIC Commissioner, called GLMS a ‘great asset’ in their fight against the Darth Vadars and Arsene Wengers of the world.
According to a joint press release celebrating the relationship, the two bodies have been working together in an unofficial capacity for some time.
The European Lotteries alone generate more than $2 billion for the benefit of sport.
The GLMS calls the powerhouses: Lottomatica, China Sports Lottery and Danske Spil as best buddies, and they join the likes of Unikrn, ESL and the UKGC as members of ESIC.
Suspicious Betting Patterns Rise
The timing of the relationship seems to be perfect after the non-profit organisation ESSA (Esports betting Integrity) reported an increase in betting alerts during 2018, Q1.
ESSA reported that 50 cases shone as brightly as the red light in the Bat Cave affecting nine sports (football, tennis, table tennis, volleyball, beach volleyball, basketball, badminton, ice hockey and esports). Tennis continues to be the biggest culprit with 27 cases. There were 11 alerts in football. Esports had an isolated issue.
