ACN Spotlight: Sportradar Doubles Down on Sports Integrity in Asia

Sportradar expands its Sports Integrity efforts in Asia, spotlighted by Asia Casino News in 2024—marking a new chapter in safeguarding Asian sports.

Following the success of our initial feature, Sportradar returns for a second spotlight with Asia Casino News—this time, focusing on their expanding integrity initiatives across Asia in 2024.

In the ever-evolving world of sports betting, the battle against match-fixing continues to intensify—especially in Asia, a region that accounts for the lion’s share of global wagering activity. In 2024, Sportradar, a global leader in sports technology and data integrity, once again reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of sport across the region.

According to Sportradar, Asia witnessed a slight year-on-year increase in suspicious matches this year, with eight more cases flagged than in 2023. While the increase is modest, it reflects broader challenges tied to the region’s immense betting volume—an estimated EUR 900 billion of the EUR 1.49 trillion wagered globally originates from Asia, much of it from unregulated markets.

Strengthening Integrity Through Partnerships and Monitoring

In January 2024, Sportradar renewed its longstanding partnership with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), a key milestone that underscores its vigilance across the Asian sports landscape. The company’s dual approach—combining real-time monitoring with end-to-end investigations—has become a standard-bearer for modern sports integrity practices.

A highly trained team monitors hundreds of competitions across Asia, flagging suspicious betting activity and triggering investigations when necessary. “Our intelligence unit conducts in-depth investigations into teams and persons of interest (POIs),” the company said.

These integrity efforts are in part led globally by Andy Cunningham, Sportradar’s Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships for Integrity Services. A veteran in sports integrity with over two decades of experience, Cunningham has worked closely on match-fixing enforcement initiatives with major organizations such as the IOC, the NCAA, the NBA, Riot Games, and more. Since joining Sportradar in 2013, he has overseen the growth of its integrity partners to over 250 governing bodies, betting operators, and law enforcement agencies worldwide—bringing a global standard of vigilance to both traditional sports and esports.

Education as a Core Pillar

Beyond detection, education is central to Sportradar’s integrity strategy. In collaboration with the AFC, the 2025 Integrity Education Programme was launched to better equip Integrity Officers with the knowledge needed to address manipulation threats at all levels. The company also regularly hosts workshops for players and officials, offering insight into the risks and repercussions of illicit behavior.

Ahead of the 2024/25 season, integrity sessions were delivered to all teams in the Philippines Football League (PFL), with a focus on prevention, reporting protocols, and legal accountability.

The Philippine Frontline: From Detection to Prosecution

Sportradar’s work in the Philippines has yielded tangible outcomes. In the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), 62 suspicious matches were identified in 2023 alone, resulting in 47 lifetime bans in 2024. These findings were even cited during a Philippine Senate inquiry, reinforcing Sportradar’s influence in shaping national policy and league enforcement.

The company also supports other domestic leagues such as the PBA and PVL through real-time monitoring and risk assessments. Still, Sportradar believes that more can be done. “Greater collaboration among government bodies, sports organizations, and betting operators is critical,” they emphasized, calling for clearer regulations and stronger enforcement mechanisms.

Tackling Integrity Risks in Esports

Sportradar’s vigilance extends beyond traditional sports into the booming world of esports. Working with major publishers such as Riot Games, Sportradar helps implement tailored integrity protocols that address esports’ unique vulnerabilities.

In 2022, the company supported Riot Games with its investigation into suspicious activity in the Turkish Academy League that led to 12 player suspensions. More recently, in 2024, irregularities detected ahead of a League of Legends playoff match led to a 12-month ban for a player who was caught attempting to fix a match. “These cases show that targeted integrity enforcement works—even in the digital arena,” the company said.

A Growing Market, A Growing Responsibility

Despite fears that match-fixing might fuel the betting market’s growth, Sportradar stresses there’s no substantial link. In fact, suspicious matches represented only 0.16% of all monitored games in 2024, proving that while integrity issues persist, they don’t account for meaningful spikes in betting turnover.

Still, in markets where betting is illegal or poorly regulated, the risks are amplified. “Without strong integrity safeguards, local competitions remain highly vulnerable,” the company warns.

Looking Ahead

With a powerful combination of technology, intelligence, and education, Sportradar is building a robust framework to protect the future of sports. Under the leadership of seasoned experts like Andy Cunningham, the company continues to define global standards in sports integrity—ensuring Asia's massive and diverse sporting ecosystem to remain as fair, transparent, and protected from manipulation as much as possible.

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