Posted on: December 1, 2025, 08:48h.
Last updated on: December 1, 2025, 09:04h.
- IBIA and PFA Canada team up to educate soccer players on match fixing
- Integrity training program reached nearly 200 players and staff across all eight clubs in 2025
With pro sports, sports betting and match fixing very much in the news of late, notably involving several athletes in the NBA and MLB, the education program between the International Betting Integrity Association and the Professional Footballers’ Association Canada is noteworthy.
The two organizations issued a statement today saying soccer players in the Canadian Premier League completed the second year of their joint anti-match-fixing education program.
The CPL has eight teams – Forge (based in Hamilton), Atlético Ottawa, Cavalry (based in Calgary), HFX Wanderers (based in Halifax), Pacific (based in Victoria), Supra (based in Montreal), Vancouver FC, and the newly launched Inter Toronto Football Club, formerly York United FC. Valour, based in Winnipeg, last week announced it was suspending operations.
Betting-Related Risks
The integrity training program reached nearly 200 players and staff across all eight clubs in 2025.
“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,” said Marco Carducci, President PFA Canada, and Captain, Cavalry FC.
IBIA’s player education program, “Protecting the Integrity of the Game”, rests on three core pillars: rules, responsibility and reporting. Dubbed the 3Rs, it lays out key information every athlete needs to know about sports betting and match-fixing.
New Toronto Team
The training’s main goal is to arm athletes and coaches with the know-how to spot, dodge, and report betting-related integrity risks.
“Preventing sports betting-related match-fixing starts with educating the athletes and coaches,” said Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA. “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.”
$300K Investment
The program also educated players on rules and sanctions. It also focused more about the scale and accuracy of technology enabling sports integrity monitoring, and how to report criminals using the red button app.
The IBIA and PFA Canada education program is part of a three-year, CAD $300,000 investment by the IBIA, bet365, Betway and FanDuel. Canadian athletes and sports organizations can access free, in-person integrity education to help strengthen sport against match manipulation.
“The IBIA sports integrity training was super informative for our players. It provided essential information on the rules of sports betting, the consequences of being involved, and ways to report any illegal activity,” said Callum Irving, captain of Vancouver FC. “Resources like the IBIA are beyond integral to safeguarding our sport and locker rooms from sports betting-related match-fixing.”
