Ricardo Magri, Head of Sports at Sportradar, took part in the 15th edition of the Congreso Latinoamericano de Sports Business Colombia, which was held in Bogotá. This firm provides sports data intelligence to FIFA, UEFA, NBA, Conmebol, FIA, and NHL, among others.
Magri said sports clubs, leagues and federations should use integrity and sports wagering to help them secure successful sponsorship deals. "In Latin America, the number of sports betting shops has risen by 44% in the last five years. Betting is not something wrong, it is a form of entertainment. Currently, more than 600 companies are contributing to stopping illegal wagering."
Magri also praised the progress made in Colombia, as wagers on professional football league Liga Águila’s two tournaments surpassed EUR 1 million this season. "Regulations in Colombia are very good. The regulatory framework here is setting an example for countries such as the United States."
As reported by journal Diario AS, Magri also announced an integrity agreement to be signed next month, under which Dimayor —the organization responsible for organizing and operating professional football leagues and tournaments in Colombia— will adopt key measures to prevent match-fixing in the medium- or long-term. Sportradar’s program will target all professional football competitions in Colombia.
Finally, Magri said Colombian teams could find better ways to take advantage of this kind of sponsorships, and mentioned the fact that clubs in Brazil not only include the sponsors’ name on the players’ shirt but the betting agencies also commit to helping the clubs with the multimedia sector.