The most effective way to combat the threat of game manipulation across the US is through additional legislation, and industry-wide transparency according to Benjie Cherniak, MD Don Best Sports, SG Digital.
Speaking at last month’s Betting on Sports in London, Cherniak addressed the role of brand ambassadors in reaching an appropriate target audience, as well as combating issues such as match-fixing and game integrity.
Speaking on the topic of manipulation, Cherniak pointed out that game manipulation isn’t necessarily on the rise, but has always been present across the US. He explained: “Now that the issue of game manipulation is legislated, it’s more of a front and center concern to the leagues than it was previously. And it’s obviously more of a concern to these legislated operators, who previously weren’t involved in the gambling space in the US, who must ensure that they are maintaining the integrity of the games.
“But to answer your question of how do we minimize the likelihood and combat the threat of game manipulation, the answer is more legislation. Every time that a state legislates, but does so with minimal legislation such as prohibiting mobile wagering, it increases the strength of both the grey and black market which decreases the visibility of the betting lines. That in itself increases the likelihood of manipulation.
“To me, the answer is transparency in legislation, there should be betting allowed on the colleges within each state, there should be mobile wagering. This is how you eradicate the black market: by bringing it online and bringing it front and center in a transparent matter, which allows us to see all of the betting lines, so we can both understand them and work collectively with legislated operators to minimize the likelihood of manipulation.”
