The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and Professional Footballers Association Canada (PFA Canada) have announced a preventive training program to safeguard against potential match-fixing and betting breaches.

The Canadian Soccer Players’ Association has announced the successful completion of a second year of training for the professional football league’s anti-fraud education programme.

Canadian Premier League anti-match-fixing training

In a statement from the IBIA, the body said that the player education program aims to inform more than two hundred players and staff across all eight Canadian Premier League (CPL) teams.

The training is said to be centered on sports betting-related match-fixing and the perils it can pose for athletes who may not recognize the signs or have a way to flag an illegal approach.

The IBIA and PFA Canada ran the sessions based on three key pillars: Rules, Responsibility and Reporting under the ‘Protecting the Integrity of the Game’ course.

Marco Carducci, President of PFA Canada and Cavalry FC captain, said, “With the growth of sports betting across Canada, this training has progressed PFA Canada’s goal of supporting athletes and keeping integrity and fairness at the heart of our sport.”

The training, according to some of the league’s prominent figures, was beneficial in underscoring the real dangers that interaction with any form of illegal betting can pose to a player’s career.

Captain of Vancouver FC, Callum Irving, said, “The training was super informative for our players, providing essential information on the rules of sports betting, the consequences of being involved, and ways to report any illegal activity. Resources like the IBIA are beyond integral to safeguarding our sport and locker rooms from sports betting-related match-fixing.”

bet365, Betway and FanDuel fund education program

Some of the biggest hitters in global gambling are sponsoring the program, including Bet365, Betway and FanDuel.

Their CA$300,000 ($214,500) backing of the IBIA is part of a three-year deal. It aims to offer “Canadian athletes and sports organisations ca...