Canadian Premier League (CPL) players can now rest assured that they know the dangers of match-fixing after being educated on the matter by the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA).
Between June and September, eight CPL teams and a combined total of 173 players shared amongst them underwent an intensive educational program consisting of dedicated in-person training and online resources, the IBIA said.
The campaign was delivered by the Professional Footballers’ Association Canada (PFA Canada), integrating them into the organisation’s ‘Protecting the Integrity of the Game’ workshops.
Sessions were hosted across the provinces of Ontario, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, British Columbia and Alberta, and included the football teams of York United, Forge, Atletico Ottawa, HFX Wanderers, Valour, Pacific FC, Vancouver FC, as well as Cavalry.
Marco Carducci, Cavalry FC & President of PFA Canada, said: “The IBIA sports betting integrity training, in partnership with PFA Canada, was an incredibly beneficial experience for our players.
“Effective and easy-to-understand, it made clear what professional athletes need to know about sports betting integrity and how to report attempted corruption. We are grateful for IBIA’s support to help safeguard the integrity of the game and to protect and educate our players.”
Throughout the programme, players were informed about the risks to sports betting arising from match-fixing, the general overview of the relative rules and sanctions, how technology can help protect sports’ integrity, as well as how to successfully report suspected criminal behaviour through the internationally-recognised Red Button app.
Dan Kruk, Executive Director of PFA Canada, added: “Through our work with IBIA, nearly 200 Canadian Premier League players attended PFA Canada’s Protecting the Integrity of the Game workshop this season.
“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 initiative marks the end of the first part of a two-year player education contract between the IBIA and PFA Canada.
Furthermore, it is the first such campaign to be delivered as part of a wider three-year fund established by the IBIA and its members bet365, Betway, and FanDuel – with the trio contributing to a total purse of CA$300,000 that will be used for educating the Canadian sports sector on the risks of corruption.
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, concluded: “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.”