The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has partnered with Genius Sports, a global leader in sports data technology based in London.
This partnership has Genius Sports assisting the IOC by trying to thwart any attempts of cheating or manipulation during the games. The company will be installing their Sports Integrity Monitor service, which will search through data from regulated and unregulated betting markets to find anything deemed “unusual”. It will then send the data over to the sport’s governing bodies that then decide whether or not it seems like someone may be cheating.
“In 2013, we launched our Intelligence Betting Integrity System to collate alerts and information on match manipulation and, ever since, we have further optimized the mechanism. We have identified responsible organizations that can assist our global effort to prevent corruption and are delighted about our new partnership with Genius Sports. They will provide added value by making available their specialist skills, knowledge and technological expertise during the Olympic Games and other major sporting competitions organized by the IFs,” said the IOC’s Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer, Pâquerette Girard Zappelli.
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While the amount may not compare to other sports, it has been estimated that there will be about $1 billion being wagered (both legally and illegally) during the games. Genius Sports already has partnerships with organizations like FIBA and Major League Baseball while distributing data for numerous others like the NBA, the English Premier League, La Liga, ATP and WTA. With a list of business partners like this, it is obvious that Genius Sports is a trusted company to get the job done and should help the Olympic Games keep their integrity.
Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke has expressed the company’s excitement with working with the IOC: “We are pleased to partner with the IOC at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and beyond. The Olympic Games represent the pinnacle of world sport and are the ultimate platform to showcase the values of excellence, friendship and respect upon which sport is built. We look forward to sharing our expertise and intelligence to aid the prevention of match manipulation in order to further safeguard the integrity of these major and extraordinary competitions.”