NEW DELHI: Asia has seen a sharp decline in match-fixing over the last six years, the Asian Football Confederation and its integrity partner told Reuters, though illicit gambling has grown thanks partly to the use of cryptocurrencies as a payment method.
Swiss-based Sportradar has been a key ally in the AFC's fight against corruption since 2013 and the tie-up will run through to the 2023 AFC Asian Cup in China after being renewed last month.
Match-fixing is driven by illegal gambling, a market which Transparency International estimated in 2018 was worth some $400 billion in Asia.
"Since 2013, we have witnessed a significant reduction in the number of match-fixing related incidences," Benoit Pasquier, AFC General Counsel and Director of Legal Affairs, told Reuters by email.
"Sportradar has been pivotal in driving the decrease in overall figures for illicit activity...
"From 2016 we've witnessed a decline in match-fixing across Asia by 21% and with our efforts in tandem with Sportradar, the preventive measures we've introduced have produced positive results." Agencies