ESSA renews cooperation agreement with FIFA’s Early Warning System

Under the terms of the agreement, ESSA will support FIFA’s efforts to identify attempted match-fixing by linking up its successful Early Warning System – a platform dedicated to monitoring, reporting and tracking suspicious betting activity both on- and off-line - with FIFA’s own Early Warning System GmbH.

“I am very pleased that ESSA will be supporting FIFA in its attempts to ensure betting integrity during the coming World Cup,” said Khalid Ali, Secretary-General of ESSA. “Since we launched our Early Warning System in 2005, ESSA has played a key role in coordinating and focusing the licensed, regulated betting industry’s zero-tolerance approach to the threat of betting-related match fixing in sport, and this agreement with FIFA’s EWS is further proof of our commitment to helping all sports authorities maintain the highest levels of integrity.”

“Since our early warning system was first implemented at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, FIFA has made great strides in preventing criminal elements from being able to alter the outcome of football matches. With its excellent reputation for monitoring betting activity across a whole range of sports, we view our partnership with ESSA for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and other upcoming FIFA tournaments as an important element in making sure we maintain this outstanding record,” said Wolfgang Feldner, Head of Strategy of FIFA’s EWS.