ESSA and IOC to safeguard the integrity of the Winter Games

Brussels, 6 February: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and ESSA (Sports Betting Integrity) signed an agreement with the objective to detect and prevent any risk of manipulation of competition at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. ESSA, an international betting integrity body, already contributes already to the IOC’s Integrity Betting Intelligence System (IBIS) and will reinforce the intelligence work of the IOC during the upcoming Games. In particular, it will make available one of its full-time monitoring operators in order to ensure that all betting patterns in relation to the Olympic events are carefully monitored to detect and prevent any potential risks.

Friedrich Martens, Head of the Olympic Movement Unit on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions (OM PMC) said on the occasion of the agreement: "Preserving the integrity of the Games is of paramount importance for the International Olympic Committee. In order to achieve this we need the experience, expertise and intelligence from all operators and stakeholders involved. ESSA, with which we have enjoyed a fruitful cooperation for years, will surely have a significant contribution thanks to its network and know-how".

Khalid Ali, Secretary General of ESSA added: "This collaboration between ESSA and the IOC demonstrates the depth of trust and respect that has been built between us over a number of years. It also highlights our shared ambition to drive corruption out of sport and regulated betting markets. The integrity of the Games will undoubtedly be enhanced as a result of this partnership."

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