Betway Group’s Post

🌟 Exciting News! We're thrilled to announce the launch of our partnership with PFA Canada | AFP Canada to implement an education campaign aimed at empowering players in the Canadian Premier League to combat match-fixing! 🏆⚽ At IBIA, we believe in the power of education and awareness to safeguard the integrity of sports: it's imperative that we equip athletes with the knowledge and tools to recognize, resist, and report any attempts at manipulation. Jean-François Reymond, IBIA’s Education Ambassador, who will work with the PFA Canada trainers on the May launch, said: “We look forward to working with PFA Canada to further protect the Canadian Premier League from the threat of sports-betting related match-fixing. Protecting the integrity of sport means protecting the integrity of athletes. Most often through a lack of awareness, it is the athletes who are risking their careers and livelihoods. IBIA’s objective is to help build a best-in-class program for all athletes that serves to protect the integrity of Canadian sport and the careers of Canada’s athletes.” Through in-person trainings and online resources we're committed to arming athletes with the skills they need to uphold the spirit of fair play and protect the integrity of the game. In 2024, the program will educate approximately 300 players about the potential threat of sports-betting related match-fixing to the integrity of the Canadian Premier League, their careers, as well as its potential to defraud sports betting operators and customers. The agreement also stipulates a repeat training in 2025 to ensure new players joining the league are also able to protect themselves from criminals and corrupters and report any suspicious activity. The IBIA - PFA Canada sports-integrity education program has been enabled by a CA$300,000 commitment over three years by IBIA and its member operators bet365, Betway Group and FanDuel for the Canadian market, from which other sports are also expected to benefit. Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “IBIA’s members take their role – as responsible regulated betting operators – in protecting the integrity of sporting competition and of betting markets seriously. Alongside balanced, efficient and evidenced-based regulation, protecting soccer players, staff and officials from being targeted by criminals is an essential first step to stamping-out sports-betting related match-fixing and fraud.” Together, we can make a difference and ensure that sports remain a platform for excellence, integrity, and inspiration. Join us in our mission to #FightMatchFixing and create a level playing field for athletes worldwide! 💪🌍 Read the full PR here: https://lnkd.in/eEN_Qkmb #IntegrityInSports #AthleteEmpowerment #FairPlay #EducationCampaign

Beginning in the previous post ⏪ Ending in comments :) From a sports perspective, we are building targeted support for our teams of athletes. We discover "stars," provide financial resources, help with tournament expenses, pay for coaches, and consult. When members of our teams start traveling and playing against the strongest opponents, they grow wings, and they learn that anything and everything and anything is possible.   On both the chess and football fronts we provide for a lot of game practice and we organize many national tournaments and sponsor trips abroad. We build close relationships with international federations, learn from them, and this gives us the opportunity to understand the world’s best practices, get inspired by ideas, exchange experiences, get additional quotas for our athletes, and a better feel the opportunities and trends that appear in the world.   We build strong partnership with the most important stakeholders in our universe, our governments, including the Ministry of Sports, Digitalization, Higher Education and Education, at a state level, as well as the local regional Akimats and their cities’ sports departments. We organize and sponsor a lot of "corporate tournaments" covering a vast number of people from completely different strata of society, including government employees and bankers, teachers and doctors, and even penitentiary officials and prisoners. All coming together with human and financial resources, to organize sports festivals and competitions as we try to bring the world’s best practices to make everyone’s life better. 🏟️ We are learning to build partnerships with global brands, such as Snickers, Red Bull, and Mastercard, making them part of the team too. We have created cooperation and partnerships between federations and now, the federations for football, tennis, and chess share resources with one another to make one plus one equal greater than two. And, using all our reputational capital, we show value in the involvement of supporting sports to other medium and large-sized businesses, illustrating by example why this can be beneficial for them.   Do we need infrastructure? Of course, yes, it is a key to success, and as a private company, we can help build this infrastructure faster and cheaper, often at our own expense, but it’s worth it. The state can’t do everything, everywhere, all at once, and it’s slow moving. Many important projects are not so much about money, but about high-quality project management and trust between the Akimats and strong leaders of the sporting federations they are interacting with. Leaders who have significant reputations for getting things done. It’s not a criticism, but a reality when dealing with any bureaucracy anywhere in the world. Continue reading in comments... #Qazaqstan #Kazakhstan #sport #Football #Chess

If you are an avid participant in a sport or are interested in fostering that enthusiasm in others, you may be looking to start your own sports club. An athletic club is one of the most common Not-For-Profit incorporations registered in Ontario. This is specifically set up as an organization where a group of individuals come together to coach or play a sport, organize a local sports team or to establish an athletic or health club. There are different types of clubs you can register, where you are either focusing specifically on one sport, or promoting health and athletics more generally. https://lnkd.in/e-YSes4n

Brace yourselves for a seismic shift in UK football fan engagement. Yesterday, the UK government revived plans for a new football regulator in England, by promising to reintroduce the Football Governance Bill. (Something introduced during the Sunak premiership yet unclear if it would be carried through with the new Labour government despite being in their manifesto) This bill will attempt to redefine the entire football experience for every fan and their relationship with their club. The question is are most clubs and leagues ready for the revolution? Quite simply, no. This landmark legislation aims to enhance the transparency, accountability, and sustainability of football clubs across the UK, ensuring that the beautiful game remains deeply rooted in its fan communities. One of the most significant aspects of this bill for me is its potential to unlock and transform in-venue fan engagement and monetisation, by giving lower league teams the ability to spend more on building their fan engagement strategies with a more even distribution of revenues received by the Premier League for instance. (The Premier League's revenue stood at £6.1billion in 2022/23). The bill will also mandate greater financial transparency by encouraging fan representation in decision-making processes and empowering supporters to have a stronger voice in the governance of their beloved clubs. In practical terms, clubs can leverage this increased fan involvement to develop more targeted and effective in-venue engagement strategies and activations and most importantly unlock further revenues. From improved stadium facilities, exclusive in-stadium and broadcast experiences to advanced digital services and real time engagement experiences - the opportunities are vast. Choosing the right solutions and strategies to do this are more essential than ever. Something i'm pleased to say Hypothesis Media are specialists in! 😎 As we look to the future, the Football Governance Bill represents a critical step towards building a more engaging and profitable football ecosystem (something that I hope follows suit for other sports leagues in time). As a long term champion of fan engagement for all clubs and teams at all levels. This signifies a huge step in getting all fans closer to the club whether they are a season ticket holder or a fan from the other side of the globe! It's now in the hands of the UK football clubs to start proactively working with specialist fan engagement consultancies who understand the right engagement tools and strategies to empower them for revolution that this bill will foster. https://lnkd.in/eJ44Nq29 #FanEngagement #UKFootball #SportsManagement #StadiumExperience #RevenueGrowth EFL (English Football League) The Famous Group

Getting released from a pro-youth football club can be a daunting experience for young players. Some kids have dedicated their time and talent to the club since the tender age of 6 or 7, only to be released when they reach 15 or 16. It's important to note that this is not a criticism of the clubs themselves, but rather an observation about the process. Today, I would like to shed light on the contrasting approaches of clubs in England, particularly Manchester United, and clubs in Scotland when it comes to releasing young players. Manchester United has taken a commendable step by showing their commitment to the well-being and future of the released players. They have included all the boys who are being released, ensuring they have new clubs to continue their football journey. United goes above and beyond by actively facilitating their transition to new clubs and even providing each player with a signed, framed top as a gesture of appreciation. This small act of kindness makes a significant impact on the young players, showing that their efforts and dedication have not gone unnoticed. Small gesture on the grand scheme of it, but a gesture nonetheless. Unfortunately, the situation in Scotland is different. Some boys in the same position are left uncertain about their future, with limited guidance and support. These talented individuals find themselves in a state of limbo, not knowing what lies ahead. This lack of clarity and assistance can be disheartening for young players who have invested their passion and dreams into the sport. While it is understandable that clubs have no obligation to retain players who may not meet the required level or are constrained by budget considerations, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of transparency and human decency in such a significant aspect of a young player's life and future. The release process should be conducted with care, ensuring that the young players are well-informed and supported in their transition to the next phase of their football journey. lets be honest, the clubs know who they are keen on keeping and who not, way before May!!! As we reflect on these contrasting experiences, it becomes evident that there is an opportunity for improvement. The impact of youth player releases extends beyond the football pitch; it shapes the dreams, aspirations, and self-confidence of these young individuals. It is our collective responsibility to advocate for a more transparent and supportive approach across all clubs, regardless of their geographical location. We should have future where no talented youngster feels abandoned or uncertain about their future after being released from a pro-youth football club. By fostering an environment of transparency, empathy, and support, we can ensure that every young player receives the guidance they deserve. Happy to discuss contrasting opinions…..

“Where does the buck stop with athlete safety. Who’s really responsible?...I’m not sure – but it shouldn’t be the athletes. That I know.” Emily Mason, Canadian Fencer Nearly five years ago Sport Canada developed a report card system to grade sports on their governance. Now an article in The Globe and Mail uncovered " How lax oversight at Sport Canada missed key signs of trouble inside the system." "A key flaw in the report cards, The Globe found, was how they were constructed....if an NSO had serious problems – anything from a broken complaints system to conflicts of interest in its executive ranks – but its policies looked good on paper, Sport Canada awarded it high marks. The system was effectively blind to problems that were happening in reality." The report cards themselves were a substantial investment, with over 62 report cards generated in '21 and '22 for national sports organisations in Canada. But the devil is in the details. Despite many organizations facing serious allegations (e.g. physical and sexual abuse) all were receiving high or passing grades. One of the reasons for this? The report card analysis focused on whether policies covered specific content rather than any focus on how policies were actually being implemented or what was occurring on the ground within the organisations. A good reminder here that just because there is a policy, does not mean it's being implemented. The report cards also missed opportunities to understand and assess the experiences of athletes and survivors. Some of the policies within the sports themselves acted as a disincentive to athletes wanting to come forward. “A lot of athletes felt so unsafe because there was the real risk – in the policy – that they could be retaliated against for speaking up against somebody who had power. And they didn’t try to hide it. It was right there in the policy,” Mason said. “They felt bullied into not making complaints.” Despite this, the sports organisation received top marks for dispute resolution. This report card system has been retired, but without accountability and transparency in these systems, especially when they fail, it's hard to garner trust in whatever the next iteration will be. #Safeguardinginsport #abuseinsport #canada https://lnkd.in/gC85Nb8F

For 12 years I was a professional basketball player (not a really good one but I was a much better union organizer) but what I learned in those years about the psyche of professional athletes is essential to my ability to lead international sports integrity initiatives today. One of the main ingredient of a successful program, even after 14 years off the court, is trust. As the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) education ambassador, yesterday I have been pleased to visit Forge FC as part of a joint initiative alongside AFP Canada | PFA Canada to educate athletes from the Canadian Premier League on the threat posed by match-fixing to protect the integrity of sporting competition.   I have been in their shoes, sitting in locker rooms, on benches, on team meeting with coaches, on the recovery table, – and even if it's a different sport I can talk to them in the eye and speak about the reality and complexity of a professional career.   The unfortunate truth is that to corrupt a sports fixture – and financially benefit from defrauding betting markets – an athlete or official who can affect in-game events needs to be involved.   Sometimes when this occurs it is due to the influence of criminals, sometimes the friends of athletes from less financially secure backgrounds apply unfair pressure, other times the athletes themselves make mistakes out of curiosity or boredom.   Professional athletes live with a particular set of pressures that are invisible to most of us. Relative fame and wealth, contrasted with short careers, the weekly threat of injury, intense fan and media pressure, short duration of contract and the need to keep winning against other exceptional athletes to maintain their lifestyles.   In this context, you need to cut-through the noise and impress upon them how critical the training is to protect their careers. To do that you need to get someone they can trust to talk to them face-to-face.   Before 2010 player education was virtually non-existent in Europe. I would say North America is in a similar position today. Working alongside International Betting Integrity Association, EU Athletes and European Commission, I have been incredibly proud to help design and deliver initiatives that have trained over 35,000 professional athletes in Europe, and I am now excited to bring that experience to Canada. What I instinctively knew when we set out to design the European initiatives – and what remains integral to IBIA’s global education initiative today – is that trust and direct access to athletes needed to be at the core of our model.   And I understood that precisely because I didn’t have that resource when I was a professional athlete.

How college sports players use their name, image, and likeness is complicated. In 2021, the NCAA adopted new rules allowing players to make money by making sponsorship deals but has upheld its longstanding ban on colleges directly paying to athletes. A wave of new, multimillion-dollar organizations are working to funnel money to athletes. Some of these organizations, known as NIL collectives, are quickly coming into conflict with the NCAA. Here’s how they work:

Bravo to CCES & MGSS for doing this work! This is a ethical and legal challenge for sport. Equally challenging and concerning is the prevalence of sports betting amongst Canadian youth. This is a phenomenon that deserves study…and action. The advertising for online sports betting during televised sports events is omnipresent.

Understand your ELIGIBILTY. ELIGIBILTIY is the legal right to qualify to enter a country, or territory with a view to residing, working / playing there. We need to understand before contacting agents, clubs, scouts, and staff that what you’re asking is REALISTIC. Everyone wants to play at the highest level, in the best leagues. But you MUST be realistic with your own circumstances, what you’re asking, and with who you are contacting. Or you run the risk of losing these contacts and connections. There are a number of factors that can affect eligibility for football at the domestic level, including: Age For example, in the FA's Standard Code of Rules for Youth Competitions, players must be between certain ages to play in different formats of the game League membership Membership in a league at a particular level can affect eligibility for cup competitions. For example, teams from levels 1 to 4 qualify automatically for the FA Cup, while teams from levels 5 to 9 enter the qualifying rounds. Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) To obtain a GBE, a player must be an elite player with sufficient experience at the domestic, continental, or international level. International Clearance Certificates (ITC) The FA relies on a declaration that the requirements of Article 19 are met when determining ITC eligibility. Other factors that can affect eligibility for football include: nationality, passport, residency, ancestry, place of birth, playing history, and gender. Of course this will differ from one country and region to another. Always do your own research, and understand your limitations. Expecting agents and scouts to wave a magic wand is completely unrealistic. Simply believing you’re a good player, or coach isn’t enough for a club, agent, or scout to take you. Software such as InScout Network will give you a platform to showcase your profile, and for it to be searched, but it doesn’t give you a passageway to your desired destination. Understanding this process will get more connections, and professionals to reply to you, rather than you being left overlooked. Be mindful when you’re sending messages, giving your highlights, cv and clips and asking for an unrealistic request like a trial or a club in a country or region you’re INELIGBLE to go to. Register for you FREE profile today www.inscoutnetwork.co.uk for players, staff and volunteers internationally.