Sportradar has welcomed the U-turn on live data sales by the Independent Review of Tennis Integrity, but believes the panel could have gone further.
An original recommendation to discontinue sale of live data at the $25k level of the sport has been reversed, but for the former ITF $15k range tournaments the panel endorses taking such a firm stance.
The report states that online betting and sales of official scoring data have hugely contributed to integrity issues at tennis's lower levels, with the sale of data allowing thousands of matches to be available for betting and enabling players and officials to bet and act corruptly more easily. It recommends removing incentives for integrity breaches; establishing a newly empowered tennis integrity unit with independent supervisory boards; preventing breaches though education, control of access and disruption; enforcing expanded integrity rules and punishing offenders; and for national authorities to develop national and international regulation and enforcement.
In response, David Lampitt, managing director of group operations at Sportradar, said: “We welcome the fact that the panel has reversed their recommendation to discontinue sale of live data at the $25k level of the sport, however we believe that they could and should have gone further.
“This is for two reasons: a targeted approach should be applied across the whole sport; we have been consistent in our view that the panel invites new risks and problems by recommending a prohibitive approach, when it has not succeeded as an effective regulatory tool in relation to the betting industry anywhere in the world, nor in any other sport.
“Adjusting their arbitrary line (between targeted approach and blanket discontinuance) down a level doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. This is because the measures don’t match the risks and the panel’s approach remains disproportionate. They now accept a targeted approach as the most effective response for almost every level of tennis, including quite correctly those levels above the ITF that evidence the highest level of risk.
“It then makes no sense that they have doggedly maintained a solution that is more draconian, expensive, complex and unpredictable for the $15k tournament level that has lower risk.
“Our experience borne of more than a decade investing in the best programmes to fight integrity corruption in sport, is that a targeted approach, where the key stakeholders cooperate and invest into detection, prevention and education rather than prohibition is the most effective way forward for all levels.
“Now that the panel’s work is finally complete, we look forward to working with our trusted partners and the wider tennis family to deliver the best solutions to protect the integrity of the sport.”
