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Suspicious Betting Trends in Global Football – 2020 Report

By: Mike Morrison

Released in partnership with Starlizard Integrity Services.

This year’s report was completed in collaboration with TXODDS and covers data from 80,939 football matches played in 2019. The report compares the findings to the 2019 and 2018 report and, once again, examines the geographical, tier and sectoral trends. Key findings included:

  • ​This year’s report is based on a review of over 80,000 matches played throughout 2019, that’s 30% more matches than in the previous year’s report. Although the same methodology has been applied, the percentage of matches identified as having suspicious betting patterns has decreased from 0.61% to 0.56%.
  • This report showed that the number of suspicious women’s matches remains very lowwith just five played in 2019 down from six the previous year. The heightened media profile of women’s football has contributed to increasing amounts staked on women’s matches in betting markets. Despite this, the potential for larger profits from betting on women’s football did not lead to an increase in suspicious women’s matches.
  • Suspicious matches involving national teams rose to 1.53% of all those reviewed in 2019, from 1.01% the previous year. One national men’s team were involved in four suspicious matches out of the 13 matches they played during 2019. However, suspicious matches involving clubs from different countries decreased from 0.93% to 0.65% year-on-year.
  • There is a clear trend of higher proportions of suspicious matches taking place on weekdays. Matches played on Monday to Friday made up fewer than 40% of all those reviewed from 2019, but almost 60% of all suspicious matches. The proportion of suspicious matches played on Wednesdays in 2019 was almost three times that of Saturdays.
  • The report shows that friendlies continue to be over-represented for suspicious matches.  ​Suspicious club friendly matches have doubled from those played in 2018and are back at a similar level to 2017. Of the 24 suspicious club friendlies played in 2019, 15 took place in January or February.

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