Mark Gibson from business analytics provider SAS outlines the need for electronic intelligence systems to stamp out corruption.
Over the last few decades, corruption in sport has sadly become almost endemic, and in recent years, much has been linked with illegal gambling, in particular the activities of Asian gambling rings.
The problem has reached such a level in football that world governing body FIFA has decided set up a special unit within Interpol to combat what it sees as the international game’s “biggest threat”. But outside football, illegal gambling is also rife - 2010's controversy surrounding three Pakistan cricketers and the bowling of allegedly deliberate "no balls" at Lord’s is a case in point and tennis, snooker and horse racing are just a few of the other sports that have experienced serious issues relating to suspicious betting patterns in recent years.
Governing bodies have been active in conducting reviews, establishing units dedicated to cracking down on the problem and putting in place expert resources. What they often lack, however, is a dedicated electronic intelligence management system.
A recent government-commissioned report in the UK recommended that “every sport should have a system for capturing intelligence and reporting regularly to the Sports Betting Intelligence Unit”. At the moment, many do not have access to this capability. To properly get to grips with issues of corruption, administrators require full end-to-end information management functionality that facilitates information sharing and that is capable of pin-pointing repeat behaviour and suspicious patterns of activity.
Currently, one of the key issues sports authorities face in tackling corruption is that they too often rely on paper-based systems that make effective information sharing and information management almost impossible to achieve, not least because key information is frequently not recorded. Electronic intelligence systems are today becoming an indispensable requirement if governing bodies are to tackle corruption effectively.
Of course, organisations must ensure that the chosen solution delivers all the functionality they need to effectively tackle corruption in their particular sport. Critically, systems must be able to incorporate an intelligent search capability and to gather and then sift through vast quantities of structured and unstructured data. In addition, they must also be able to link players, teams, events and officials to reveal patterns of offending.
Repeat behaviour is common in illegal sports gambling so the ability to build ‘like case management’ is particularly critical and generally it isn’t the suspicious betting activity itself that is difficult to pinpoint. More typically, it is the pattern of historical associations between players, coaches and games, often stretching back many years and that underpins the betting that is particularly complex and difficult to track.
Ideally, in this context, systems should also be able search relevant websites and emails and bring all these materials into a central resource for review, assessment and ultimately use as evidence in criminal prosecutions.
All sports authorities see the need to preserve the integrity of their chosen sport as a priority. Spectators will only want to watch an event if they believe that everyone involved is giving their utmost to the cause. If there is any suspicion that a result or even a single element of a match has been contrived then interest in the outcome is lost. What had been an eagerly awaited contest becomes a meaningless charade.
Electronic intelligence management solutions give sports authorities the opportunity to address this issue; to identify errant behaviour and to punish it much more quickly and efficiently than ever before. At the same time, the successful execution of the process is likely to act as an effective deterrent to others within the sport that might be considering corrupt activities.
So, by investing in the best electronic intelligence management solutions, sports authorities are able to effectively protect not only their brand but also the brand of their chosen sport. Ultimately, in a sporting world where major new betting scandals seem to surface every few weeks, there can surely be no greater benefit.
