Illegal sports betting now accounts for an annual $196 billion, or 97%, of all US sports betting, according to a new analysis by the gambling sector’s leading market data provider, H2 Gambling Capital, exclusively provided to iGaming Business. The £196 billion handle calculated for 2016 in H2’s ‘deep dive analysis’ (paywall) is substantially higher than the widely publicized $150bn figure previously published by the American Gaming Association. The 97% figure produced by iGaming Business’ principal data partner also far outstrips recent International Center for Sport Security/University of Sorbonne Paris estimates that 80% of global bets are made illegally. Of this…

Malta Today – The Maltese government will continue to push for changes to a new definition of illegal sports betting which is being drafted by the Council of Europe, and pushed by France. According to the Parliamentary Assembly, illegal betting and match-fixing are “alarming, widespread practices” which jeopardise both sporting ethics and rule of law, as they are closely interconnected with money laundering and international organised crime. The Council of Europe is thus pushing for a Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, open to all States. The gaming industry provides 12% of Malta’s total GDP. Remote gaming on its…

iGaming Business – The Indian Central Berau of Investigation (CBI) has set up a new ‘Sports Integrity Unit’ as part of an effort to combat illegal sports betting in the country. Shri Ranjit Sinha, director of the CBI, confirmed that the new unit will operate under the guidance of the Special Crime Branch in Delhi. The unit will be tasked with investigating and enquiring into matters related to sport frauds, combating malpractices in sports and coordination with sports federations and law enforcement agencies. The Sports Integrity Unit will also actively engage with the Indian Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports…