Key Moments:
- IBIA launched the Mission 2030 strategy as its comprehensive five-year plan to uphold sports betting integrity worldwide.
- IBIA’s Global Monitoring & Alert Platform processes over $300 billion in annual transactions and underwent a major technological upgrade in late 2024.
- Esports betting is forecasted to reach $16.21 billion in 2025, with further growth anticipated through 2034.
IBIA Unveils Mission 2030 and a Renewed Brand Identity
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has announced Mission 2030, naming it a comprehensive five-year initiative to solidify the organization’s position as the global benchmark for sports betting integrity. Unveiled in October 2025 during IBIA’s 20th anniversary, the strategy also features a refreshed brand identity reflecting its expanding influence and collaborative approach amidst changing regulations and sporting environments.
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, stated: “As IBIA marks its 20th anniversary, we are not only reflecting on the past, we are also looking ahead to the future. Our new strategic roadmap charts how we will continue to deliver best in class integrity services to our members, deepen collaboration with our partners, and successfully confront the challenges and opportunities reshaping our industry. IBIA is evolving to ensure that whatever new trends emerge, we remain ready to safeguard sports, consumers and regulated betting markets”.
Addressing a Growing Integrity Challenge
The launch of Mission 2030 comes at a pivotal time, as IBIA reported 63 suspicious betting alerts in Q1 2025, marking an 11% increase from the revised Q1 2024 figure of 57 alerts. With the industry observing a rise in platforms, regulators, and operators are sharpening efforts to mitigate player scams and gambling addiction risks. In response, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has introduced a self-assessment resource to guide individuals in evaluating their gambling behavior.
Three Strategic Pillars Define Mission 2030
Mission 2030 builds on three core objectives, aiming to tackle the multifaceted risks in regulated betting markets:
- Enhancing Integrity Monitoring: The Global Monitoring & Alert Platform (Global MAP) remains central, currently overseeing over $300 billion of regulated transactions annually. After a major 2024 technology upgrade, it more capably identifies suspicious activity, supporting investigations across more than 80 member operators and 140 sports betting brands.
- Expanding Collaborative Networks: IBIA is prioritizing broader alliances within the sports integrity ecosystem, advocating for joint efforts from regulators, sports bodies, operators, athletes, and law enforcement.
- Advancing Preventative Measures: By focusing on regulatory improvements, policy engagement, and player education, IBIA intends to address threats before they escalate. The association’s connection to extensive industry data enables unique, data-driven insights for policymakers and regulators.
Adapting to a Rapidly Evolving Industry
Mission 2030 is designed as a flexible roadmap, accommodating emergent trends such as artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, esports, and new market opportunities. The association, in coordination with its membership, will develop detailed initiatives to remain adaptive and proactive as the landscape shifts.
Visual Identity and Unified Purpose
IBIA marked this strategic shift with a new logo composed of six interconnected segments, each symbolizing a key stakeholder: operators, sports organizations, regulators, law enforcement, athletes, and institutions. The association’s new tagline, “Safeguarding Sports Betting,” encapsulates its renewed mission.
Ali added: “To achieve our ambitions, we need to evolve and that starts with the way we present ourselves. More than just a visual update, our new brand is a key building block of Mission 2030. It reflects not just who we are today, but where we are heading tomorrow”.
Global Betting Industry Growth and Legislation
The sports betting sector is experiencing remarkable expansion, with expectations that the global market will surge from $98.77 billion in 2024 to $235.19 billion by 2033, indicating a 10.12% compound annual growth rate. This growth is attributed to expanding internet and mobile accessibility, technical innovations like AI and blockchain, and regulatory adjustments across various jurisdictions.
Market Developments and Regional Highlights
| Region | Key Activity | Financial Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Legal sports betting reaches 40 states by 2025; commercial gaming sets new revenue records in 2024 | New York reports $23.94 billion handle and $2.14 billion gross gaming revenue; first state to exceed $1 billion in annual sports betting tax revenue |
| Brazil | Online betting market launched January 1, 2025, with 68 gaming licenses issued | Projected tax revenue exceeds R$10 billion ($2 billion) per year |
| Americas (Sponsorship) | Soccer and basketball drive sponsorship; DraftKings and UFC run largest annual deal | Soccer: $341.58 million/year; UFC-DraftKings: $70 million/year; NFL-DraftKings/FanDuel: ~$40 million/year |
Regulatory Evolution in Malta
The Malta Gaming Authority has unveiled updated policies for 2025, strengthening its focus on sports betting integrity and consumer protection. The new risk-based oversight approach includes comprehensive inspections, mystery shopping, collaborative engagements, and enhanced anti-money laundering measures, placing a heavier emphasis on the use of analytics to spot irregular activities.
Esports and Cryptocurrency: A New Betting Frontier
Esports betting is expanding rapidly, with the sector expecting to hit $16.21 billion in 2025 and forecasting a leap to $54.03 billion by 2034. Counter-Strike 2 held a 57% share of esports betting volume in early 2025, while VALORANT saw a 175% annual increase in activity following policy changes from Riot Games. Mobile platforms now account for nearly 60% of esports betting, and major events like the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia are poised to further boost industry growth.
Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are bringing increased transparency and efficiency to the sports wagering space. These technologies offer almost instant, low-cost, and private transactions, with blockchain recording every wager and payment to validate fairness and enable seamless dispute resolution.
Mobile and Live Betting Set Engagement Record
Mobile betting surpassed 78% of overall revenue in 2024, leading all growth categories within online sports betting. Live, real-time betting has become the top market segment, driven by the increased prevalence of instant data and mobile convenience. New formats like micro-betting and short-duration bets are particularly attractive to younger participants.
Advanced technologies, such as AI-driven predictive tools and data analytics, are also supporting IBIA’s Mission 2030 objectives, enhancing integrity monitoring and fraud detection capabilities.
Looking Ahead for Betting Integrity
IBIA’s Mission 2030 positions the association to meet future integrity risks through robust monitoring, extensive collaboration, and forward-thinking prevention. Stakeholder efforts, such as the regulatory leadership of the Malta Gaming Authority and emerging legal markets like Brazil, are building a stronger, technology-driven ecosystem to protect the integrity of sports, consumers, and betting markets.
- Author
Daniel Williams
