Report: Nefarious Gambling Activity Totaled $180M in 2021

As sports betting activity reached record heights in 2021, so too did “suspicious matches,” a recent study found. 

The report, conducted by Sportradar, found 903 matches with “suspicious activity” last year. The study traversed 76 nations and 10 sports.

• The report found a 2.4% increase from the previously recorded high in 2019 over the 17 years Sportradar has commissioned a report.
• The report estimated that almost $180 million came from “match-fixing betting profit.”
• Since the number doesn’t include other betting-related crimes like money laundering, it could be higher.

Soccer had the most suspicious activity, with one out of every 201 matches logging potentially nefarious behavior. Esports and basketball followed.

The report predicts that illicit betting activity will only grow in 2022. Sportradar is currently lobbying for 65 different sanctions in order to keep betting activity in check.

Sports Betting on the Rise

In 2021, the entire sports betting industry saw about $1.6 trillion in turnover — a record, according to Sportradar. 

New York, which only legalized sports betting in February, has seen record numbers — including $2.4 billion in wagers over a five-week period — compared with other U.S. states.