Suspicious sports betting alerts jumped as major league play resumed

The number of suspicious sports betting alerts jumped in the third quarter of 2020 following this summer’s resumption of major league play.

The latest report from the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) found 76 suspicious betting alerts in the three months ending September 30, up from just 50 in the same period last year. The number is also significantly higher from the 58 alerts reported in Q2 2020, during which many sports were dormant due to COVID-19.

As usual, football (soccer) and tennis led the way with 25 alerts apiece, while the pandemic focus on alternate sports led to seven alerts regarding Russian and Ukrainian table tennis matches.

The pandemic also led to 14 eSports betting alerts in Q3, but this number is likely to recede in future reports given statistics showing steep declines in eSports betting activity following the resumption of real-world sports this summer.