A group of 26 casino operators, sports betting operators and gaming equipment providers have announced the formation of the non-profit Sports Wagering Integrity Monitoring Association.
The organization will monitor the sports betting industry to detect and discourage fraud and other illegal activity, the group said.
George Rover, is serving as chief integrity officer for the association. He said it is modeled after ESSA, a European integrity monitoring association, and that the new association has worked with ESSA on its initial rollout and will continue to work with the group on global sports betting issues, according to a press release.
“We are eager and ready to assist all stakeholders involved in the sports betting market to ensure a safe and secure betting environment for consumers across the country,” Rover said in the release. “In partnership with gaming regulators and law enforcement officials, we are determined to help prevent fraudulent and manipulative behavior that could negatively affect the integrity of sporting event—something that does not occur with the widespread illegal sports betting market.”
SWIMA is designed as a collaborative entity to partner with state and tribal gaming regulators; federal, state and tribal law enforcement; its member sports betting operators and other various stakeholders, the release said.
Rover is responsible for the organization’s day-to-day functions. Serving on SWIMA’s Board of Trustees are Stephen Martino, chief compliance officer for MGM Resorts International and formerly the chief gaming regulator in Maryland and Kansas, and Jan Jones Blackhurst, executive vice president of public policy and corporate responsibility for Caesars Entertainment and the former Mayor of Las Vegas.
SWIMA’s primary goal is to establish a multi-jurisdictional reporting system to protect consumers, operators and other stakeholders from potential fraud caused by the unethical and illegal manipulation of events on which betting is offered, the release said.
Twenty-six casino operators, sports betting operators and gaming equipment providers, make up the organization’s membership, each represented on the board of delegates.
