Global overview of alerts
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) reported 70 suspicious betting alerts in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting continued efforts to monitor and safeguard integrity across regulated betting markets.
The alerts, spanning 10 different sports, were submitted to relevant authorities for further investigation and may be subject to revision depending on case outcomes.
Football remained the most frequently flagged sport, accounting for 25 alerts, or 36% of the total. Tennis followed with 16 alerts (24%), while eSports represented a notable 15 alerts (22%).
Table tennis accounted for seven alerts (10%), with the remaining cases distributed across sports such as volleyball, basketball, cricket, handball, badminton and mixed martial arts.
Regional distribution and trends
Geographically, Europe recorded the highest proportion of suspicious alerts at 28%, followed by North America at 20% and Asia at 13%. South America and Africa each accounted for 9% of alerts. A further 21% were classified as global, primarily relating to eSports, where event locations are often transnational and harder to attribute to a single jurisdiction.
A closer look at football alerts reveals a concentration in North America, particularly Mexico, which alone accounted for eight cases. Europe also saw activity in countries including Albania, Cyprus, Greece and Malta.
In Africa, incidents were reported in Burundi, Ghana, and Nigeria, while single alerts emerged in Brazil and Malaysia.
Sport-specific integrity concerns
Tennis alerts were more geographically dispersed, with cases reported across Asia, Europe, Africa, North America and South America. Notably, several alerts were linked to events outside the main professional tours, highlighting potential vulnerabilities in lower-tier competitions.
A similar pattern was observed in table tennis, where all seven alerts related to events outside the oversight of the International Table Tennis Federation.
These trends suggest that integrity risks may be more pronounced in less regulated or lower-visibility events, where monitoring and governance structures can vary significantly.
Breakdown of suspicious betting alerts by sport
Brazil’s evolving betting market
The report also includes a regional focus on Brazil, a market undergoing significant regulatory transformation.
Following the introduction of federal licensing in 2025, Brazil’s online sports betting sector is expected to shift from predominantly offshore to regulated onshore operations. Gross gambling revenue (GGR) from sports betting is forecast to grow steadily, reaching approximately BRL 28.8bn ($4.7bn) by 2030, with licensed operators projected to account for more than 80% of the market.
Between 2021 and 2025, Brazil recorded 68 suspicious betting alerts across eight sports, with football comprising the majority. This historical data underscores both the scale of betting activity in the country and the importance of regulatory oversight as the market matures.
Latin America market outlook
Looking at the broader Latin American landscape, Brazil is expected to dominate the region’s betting market in 2026, accounting for 39% of total GGR.
Mexico is projected to follow with 21%, while Argentina is expected to contribute 13%.
Together, these three markets are forecast to represent more than 70% of the region’s total betting revenue.
Conclusion
Overall, IBIA’s Q1 2026 findings illustrate the persistent and evolving nature of betting-related integrity risks. While the concentration of alerts in certain sports and regions provides insight into potential vulnerabilities, the data also reflects the growing sophistication of monitoring systems and international cooperation aimed at protecting the integrity of sport.
Recent developments involving IBIA further contextualise these findings. The association has continued to expand its global monitoring network through new partnerships, including the addition of sportsbook operator STS, part of the Entain Group, which strengthens coverage in the European market.
In parallel, IBIA has increased collaboration with national bodies such as Ukraine’s National Platform of Sports Integrity, providing access to its alert systems to support the detection of suspicious betting patterns.
IBIA members collectively monitor over 1.5 million sporting events annually, analysing betting activity across more than $300bn in global turnover
