The Netherlands Gambling Authority identified four cases of athletes who bet on matches, leagues, or competitions in which they participated professionally, a modality not recorded in previous reports and which the regulator points out as an emerging risk factor for sports integrity.
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Annual sports betting integrity report
The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA, for its Dutch acronym) published its trend analysis report prepared by the body’s Sports Betting Intelligence Unit. The document evaluates the prevalence of suspicious gambling activities recorded by licensed operators throughout 2025 and covers the period between January 1 and December 31 of that year.
During that period, nine licensed sportsbooks submitted a total of 12 reports of possible match-fixing. Operators triggered these alerts after detecting unusual activity on their platforms, which set off the monitoring mechanisms provided for by current regulations.
Football and tennis concentrated most of the alerts for suspicious activity
Of the 12 reports submitted, football accumulated the highest number of cases with six alerts, followed by tennis with five and combat sports with one. Three of these episodes took place in competitions held within Dutch territory.
Beyond the number of cases, regulators also identified seven situations involving unusual betting patterns. Among the indicators detected were repeated high-value bets on the same event, sudden changes in the usual behavior of bettors, and high amounts placed on low-profile competitions. Three of these cases were related to the same sporting event.
Some alerts were also linked to bets placed at specific times during live matches, which may indicate early access to information about the development of the match. Additionally, the regulator recorded an alert about a match considered high-risk, generated from a signal from an international monitoring association, although the internal investigation of the corresponding operator did not detect irregular activity among its own customers.
Four athletes bet on competitions in which they participated professionally
The most relevant finding of the report was the detection of four cases in which athletes placed bets on competitions in which they themselves participated professionally. This type of activity had not been included in the previous year’s report, making its inclusion an explicit sign that the regulator considers it an expanding risk.
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In each of these cases, the athlete bet on their own match, their league, or the competition they were part of. This conduct is prohibited because athletes may have privileged information about the physical state of competitors, game strategies, or any other relevant factor that is not publicly accessible. When operators identified these bets, they proceeded to cancel them or close the accounts involved.
The total number of alerts remained stable compared to the previous year
Despite the emergence of this new risk category, the total volume of reports did not record a significant increase. In the previous period, regulators had received 13 reports of possible match manipulation, compared to 12 in the latest report. The number of operators that submitted alerts also remained at similar levels: nine companies reported incidents, compared to eight the previous year. However, four of the operators that submitted reports were different from those that had done so previously, suggesting a rotation in detection sources within the market.
The operators and sports federations reinforced their prevention mechanisms
In response to the documented cases, operators applied various corrective measures: they canceled individual bets, limited user accounts, and removed certain markets from their platforms. The KSA also published an updated integrity guide aimed at licensed operators, which describes regulatory expectations regarding market design, risk analysis, and mandatory reporting of suspicious activity.
In parallel, sports organizations intensified their educational programs aimed at professional athletes. These initiatives address the risks associated with gambling and reinforce the rules that prohibit athletes from betting on events linked to their professional activity.
Sports integrity, a structural challenge for regulated markets
The KSA report reflects a tension that runs through regulated betting markets worldwide: the expansion of legal gambling generates more data and better detection tools, but also expands opportunities for conduct that compromises competitive integrity.
The inclusion of athletes as subjects of direct supervision marks a shift in the regulatory approach, which historically focused on the conduct of external bettors. The fact that the Dutch regulator has included this phenomenon for the first time in its annual report indicates that it is a risk that will take on greater relevance in the supervision agenda of gambling markets internationally.
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