Betcris becomes first LatAm member of IBIA

Latin American sportsbook operator Betcris has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA), becoming the first local operator in the region to become a member of the integrity watchdog.

This, IBIA said, would strengthen its monitoring and alert coverage for the region.

The business, which is owned by parent company TV Global Enterprises, has been active in multiple markets since 2006, largely operating under a licence from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), but is primarily focused in Latin America.

It has launched an online platform for the Ecuadorean national lottery, and was named sponsor of Brazil’s top football league, the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, in March this year.

In November 2019 the business also claimed to control 52% of Argentina’s igaming revenue. Betcris was among the applicants for an online gaming licence in Argentina’s capital province of Buenos Aires, though was not included in a widely circulated list of applicants apparently approved for a licence.

It now becomes the second operator to join IBIA in 2020, after Belgium’s Napoleon Sports & Casino was named a member in January this year.

“I’m delighted to welcome one of the leading sports betting brands in Latin America to IBIA,” IBIA chief executive Khalid Ali said. “Betcris is a major investor in sport with a number of sponsorship deals in place, including the Brasileiro Série A, and is well- placed to strengthen our monitoring coverage of existing and emerging markets in the region.

“I hope that other LatAm operators will follow Betcris’ example and highlight their commitment to integrity by also joining the world’s largest operator-run sports betting association.”

Betcris chief executive JD Duarte added that integrity had always been at the core of the operator’s “responsible and sustainable” business model, something that had become increasingly important when sporting events had been limited by novel coronavirus (Covid-19).

“Being part of an integrity monitoring body is also increasingly becoming both a licensing requirement and business necessity as the Brazilian sports betting law and other recent legislative developments show,” Duarte continued. “IBIA is the global leader on integrity and Betcris looks forward to working with it to protect sports and our business from corruption.”