The International Betting Integrity Association strengthened its U.S. reach on Tuesday with a new partnership.
IBIA announced that Hard Rock Digital has joined forces with a non-profit association that helps protect sports betting operators from match-fixing and monitors betting irregularities.
“Hard Rock Digital is committed to protecting the integrity of sports and ensuring a responsible gambling environment for our players,” Matt Primeaux, Hard Rock Digital President and Executive Managing Director, said in a statement. “We’re proud to join the International Betting Integrity Association and support its mission by helping to detect suspicious activity and ensure fair play on a global scale.”
Hard Rock Digital’s sports betting platform Hard Rock Bet, which currently operates in nine U.S. jurisdictions, will now benefit from IBIA’s anti-corruption tools.
“IBIA is delighted to welcome Hard Rock Digital to our association of leading global sports betting operators,” CEO Khalid Ali said. “Hard Rock is a major U.S. company and is another great addition to our rapidly expanding membership base, further strengthening our integrity monitoring coverage across the North American region and globally. We look forward to working closely with Hard Rock Digital on integrity and protecting the company’s business from corrupt betting activity.”
Client list
IBIA’s monitoring services are licensed or approved in 32 U.S. states, and the association holds gaming licenses with several tribes. Hard Rock Bet joins other U.S. sports betting operators DraftKings, Flutter-owned FanDuel, Fanatics Sportsbook, Bally’s, and bet365 that use IBIA’s services.
The match-fixing company also works with several of Europe’s major gaming companies, like Entain, Super Group’s Betway, Ladbrokes, and William Hill, among others. IBIA helps monitor suspicious betting activity through partnerships with numerous governing sports bodies, including FIFA, UEFA, ITIA, and IOC.
Technology upgrades
In November 2024, IBIA announced a “significant upgrade” to its global integrity monitoring platform. The organization said the new technology would help grow membership and “maintain the integrity of sporting events around the world.”
Expansion and improvements come at a time when suspicious betting alerts are on the rise. IBIA recently announced a 17% rise in flagged events from 2023 to 2024.
“The integrity position remains relatively consistent with previous years, with the focus of suspicious betting remaining primarily on football and tennis,” Ali said last month. “A geographical shift away from European sporting events was observed, but it is too early to determine if this is an ongoing trend.”
Operator impact
Hard Rock’s sports betting arm is owned and operated by the Seminole Tribe in Florida, a state where it’s the only legal operator. It’s also the official gaming partner of the NBA’s Miami Heat.
Hard Rock Bet also operates in Arizona, Virginia, Tennessee, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, New Jersey, and Ohio. In January, the sportsbook ranked eighth in handle among Ohio sports betting operators.
