French racing operator Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) has joined international sports betting integrity body, ESSA.
ESSA believes that the recruitment of Europe’s largest pari-mutuel operator – and second largest in the world, will enhance its ability to eliminate corruption in sporting events.
“As an early warning system, ESSA’s ability to provide intelligence on irregular or suspicious betting activity is considerably enhanced by the PMU becoming a member of our association,” ESSA secretary general Khalid Ali said.
“I’m looking forward to working closely with the PMU as we continue to strive for new and better ways to keep betting related match-fixing out of sport for good.”
ESSA, which is based in Brussels, Belgium, already has agreements with more than 20 sports federations and regulators including, Fifa, the IOC, the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority.
Under the partnership, PMU will have access to ESSA’s Early Warning System (EWS), which allows the integrity body to inform regulators of any irregular activity.
In turn, this can help regulatory bodies prevent the possibility of game manipulation on a given event.
Pierre Pages, PMU General Secretary, added: “We are constantly aware of the need for all of sport’s stakeholders to work together to combat match-fixing.
“We believe that ESSA, with its excellent links not only with sports governing bodies but also regulators and other intelligence units, is the correct platform to coordinate this effort.”
source : www.igamingbusiness.com
