IBIA and PFA Canada initiative defends Canadian soccer against match-fixing risks

IBIA and PFA Canada initiative defends Canadian soccer against match-fixing risks

Nearly 200 CPL players and staff receive integrity training in 2025

01 December 2025: The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and PFA Canada have completed the second year of their joint anti-match-fixing education programme, reaching nearly two hundred players and staff across all eight Canadian Premier League (CPL) clubs.

 

IBIA’s player education programme, called ‘Protecting the Integrity of the Game’, is structured around three foundational pillars of: Rules, Responsibility and Reporting. Known as the 3Rs, it explains the key information every athlete should know about sports betting-related match-fixing. The key aim of the training is to equip athletes and coaches with the knowledge to identify, avoid and report betting-related integrity risks.

 

Delivered in partnership with PFA Canada, the focus on in-person training creates the opportunity to share and discuss real world experiences and impress on athletes the importance of understanding, identifying and reporting potential match-fixing to protect their careers and their sport.

 

Marco Carducci, President PFA Canada, and Captain, Cavalry FC said:“With the growth of sports betting across Canada, this training has progressed PFA Canada's goal of supporting athletes and keeping integrity and fairness at the heart of our sport.”

 

Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA added: “Preventing sports betting-related match-fixing starts with educating the athletes and coaches. Through collaborative campaigns, industry funded initiatives and unique face-to-face training, IBIA is setting the global standard for athlete education on betting integrity, in line with our Mission 2030 strategy. Alongside regulation and monitoring, it is very important that player education is placed at the heart of a maturing Canadian sports betting integrity ecosystem. We’re pleased to see this programme delivering real impact. Everyone benefits when sports are clean.”

 

In addition to highlighting the potential threats from sports betting-related match-fixing, the programme educated players on rules and sanctions, the scale and accuracy of technology enabled sports integrity monitoring, and how to report criminals and corrupters using the red button app.

 

Callum Irving, Captain of Vancouver FC commented: “The IBIA sports integrity training was super informative for our players, providing essential information on the rules of sports betting, the consequences of being involved, and ways to report any illegal activity. Resources like the IBIA are beyond integral to safeguarding our sport and locker rooms from sports betting-related match-fixing.”

 

The joint IBIA and PFA Canada programme is part of an initiative funded by a CA$300,000, three-year investment from IBIA and its members – bet365, Betway and FanDuel – through which Canadian athletes and sports organisations can access free, in-person integrity education, helping safeguard Canadian sport against match manipulation and corruption.

 

According to Jean-Francois Reymond, IBIA’s Education Ambassador: “PFA Canada is the perfect partner and we are delighted our collaboration will continue in 2026. As representatives of the players, and with a mission to protect them, they were able to build the atmosphere of trust and openness necessary to discuss what can be a challenging topic for many professional athletes. We look forward to partnering with additional sporting organisations as we help safeguard the integrity of Canadian sport and the careers of Canada’s athletes.”