A collective of US sportsbook operators have announced the formation of a new national non-profit organization to help monitor integrity and fight fraud in the wake of the strike down of PASPA in June and the subsequent growth in sports wagering.
Under the working title of the Sports Wagering Integrity Monitoring Association (SWIMA), the group will collaborate with state and tribal gaming regulators, law enforcement and other stakeholders.
In a statement to media, SWIMA chief integrity officer and former New Jersey assistant attorney general/gaming regulator George Rover claimed that the group’s emergence is a first for the States and will set out to ensure a safe and secure betting environment for consumers across the US.
The group, so far, comprises member operators, or companies with affiliated licensees, including MGM, Caesars, William Hill PLC, DraftKings and FanDuel Group, a subsidiary of Paddy Power Betfair PLC. Joining them are 888 Holdings PLC, Bet365 Group, Golden Nugget Inc, Hard Rock International, Resorts Casino Hotel and Tropicana Atlantic City.
SWIMA’s arrival on the scene comes as the number of states looking to offer legalized sports wagering continues to gather pace. It will enable member sportsbook operators from any state to pass on intelligence about suspicious betting patterns to a central hub and alert regulators across the country. It was formed with the help of European sports integrity group ESSA, with which SWIMA will also share information on potentially fraudulent activity.
The group’s board of trustees includes Stephen Martino, MGM Resorts International’s chief compliance officer and a former state regulator in Maryland and Kansas, alongside former Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones, currently Caesars Entertainment’s executive vice president of public policy and corporate responsibility.
Rover told Reuters: “The key is to ensure that sportsbook operators are able to connect,” adding that he expects SWIMA to be operational within 90 days.
