Starlizard Integrity Services identifies 167 suspicious football matches played globally in 2023

In a major study, covering more than 65,000 football matches, SIS found that 167 (0.26%) showed indicators of potential manipulation. This represents an increase of 16% on the number identified in 2022 (144), although SIS analysed more matches in 2023, which means the percentage of suspicious matches decreased from 0.39% in 2022 to 0.26% in 2023.

The SIS 2023 data revealed that:

Matches analysed by SIS are categorised as "suspicious" when they are found to have suspect betting patterns associated with them that may be indicative of match-fixing. While the level of suspicion will vary across matches depending on the nature and amount of evidence discovered, SIS believes that all matches so identified would warrant further investigation.

The full report can be downloaded at: www.starlizardintegrity.com

Affy Sheikh, Head of Starlizard Integrity Services, commented: "By significantly expanding our coverage to include analysis of over 65,000 football matches from 2023, our enhanced data collection enables us to delve deeper into the prevalence of suspected match-fixing. Unfortunately, our findings reveal a persistent and concerning threat to the integrity of football, with a troubling 167 matches flagged as suspicious. We purposely set the bar very high when it comes to allocating suspicion ratings to matches, thereby greatly reducing the risk of including false positives. Nevertheless, the revelations in this year's report show that combatting suspected match-fixing in football remains an ongoing challenge.

"The significant increase in suspicious First-Half Only betting is a development worth noting, as is the disproportionate prevalence of club friendly and youth matches, which shows the vulnerabilities presented by these types of games."

About Starlizard Integrity Services

Starlizard Integrity Services (SIS) is the specialist integrity division of Starlizard, the London-based sports betting consultancy. Starlizard's detailed understanding of sport and sporting performance, as well as its active involvement in betting markets, affords a unique perspective, enabling the company to know better than anyone else in the world when betting markets and sporting contests look wrong. Starlizard has been producing independent integrity services for sports governing bodies and associations since 2010, and established SIS in 2017 as a dedicated resource to focus entirely on this work. Combining its deep insight into how betting markets should behave with detailed on-pitch performance data analysis and research, SIS is ideally placed to identify suspicious matches and betting patterns. For more information, visit www.starlizardintegrity.com

Starlizard Integrity Services, +44 (0) 20 3014 9800, [email protected] 

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