Canadian Premier League players undergo IBIA anti-match-fixing training
Almost 200 players engaged on the topic via the IBIA’s C$300,000 fund which is being deployed across Canadian sports to help educate athletes
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and Canadian Premier League (CPL) have collaborated on a player education program which has delivered training to almost 200 professional soccer players in Canada.
The C$300,000 program has seen investment from the IBIA, as well as bet365, Betway, and FanDuel, with the CPL the first recipient of the training.
Conducted by the Professional Footballers’ Association Canada (PFA Canada), the in-person training also combines online resources and took place across Canada, with sessions held in Ontario, Manitoba, and Alberta.
The sessions took place between June and September this year, with York United, Forge FC, Atlético Ottawa, HFX Wanderers, Valour FC, Pacific FC, Vancouver FC, and Cavalry FC all taking part.
Nearly 200 players across the eight CPL teams learned how to report “criminals and corruptors” alongside recognizing how to spot threats in relation to match-fixing.
Players were also educated on the “scale and accuracy” of technology-enabled sports integrity monitoring as well as the rules and sanctions surrounding match-fixing.
IBIA CEO Khalid Ali said: “We take our responsibility to protect regulated sports betting markets, sports, and athletes seriously.
“Decades of experience has shown that a combination of efficient regulation, education, and collaboration are essential to safeguarding the sports integrity ecosystem.
“We are delighted that the PFA Canada education program has been so successful and look forward to year two of the project.”
PFA Canada executive director Dan Kruk called the experience “incredibly beneficial” to CPL players.
Kruk added: “As a result, stakeholders can be confident our members know their obligations regarding gambling and match-fixing in their sport, how to recognize an approach to fix a match, and crucially, their duty to report any person attempting to manipulate a match.”
The program was the first of a two-year education agreement between the IBIA and PFA Canada.