In the past year, global match-fixing declined slightly. North and Central America moved in the opposite direction. They recorded a sharp rise in suspicious betting activity. This increase underscores a shifting threat landscape for sports integrity.
A new Sportradar‘s integrity report shows suspicious matches globally fell 1% year-over-year. Nonetheless, activity rose sharply in North and Central America. The company attributes the increase in North America, Central America, and Africa to a gradual diversification of match-fixing activity. This activity is spreading beyond traditional European strongholds.
North and Central America recorded 84 suspicious matches. Europe fell to 385 cases (down 66) and South America dropped to 183 (down 64) by contrast. Meanwhile, Asia rose modestly to 351 and Africa increased to 113.
Overall, Sportradar flagged 1,116 suspicious matches across 12 sports and 94 countries in 2025. They monitored more than one million events in total.
Underscoring how integrity risks are increasingly intersecting with regulated betting markets, numerous high-profile cases surfaced in the United States.
A federal indictment unsealed in January revealed point-shaving in men’s NCAA Division I college basketball as early as January 2025. Players accepted bribes to manipulate performances across dozens of games involving numerous teams.
Authorities arrested Miami Heat point guard Terry Rozier for allegedly leaving a game early so bettors could cash prop bets in October.
During games so bettors could win similar wagers, two Cleveland Guardians players also allegedly manipulated pitches. With Luis Ortiz allegedly rigging pitches in at least 48 games, he now faces charges together with Emmanual Clase.
The report of Sportradar outlined how it increasingly relies on its AI-powered UFDS AI or Universal Fraud Detection System to identify irregular betting patterns. The system combines existing fraud detection tools with machine learning models that scan vast volumes of wagering data in real time.
Reflecting what Sportrada described as greater sensitivity to subtle and niche manipulation, AI-identified suspicious matches jumped to 682 from 432.
