Atlantic City, NJ – The leading sport book operators in the United States today announced the formation of the first-in-the-nation Sports Wagering Integrity Monitoring Association (SWIMA), a not-for-profit organization designed as a collaborative entity to partner with state and tribal gaming regulators; federal, state and tribal law enforcement; and other various stakeholders to detect and discourage fraud and other illegal or unethical activity related to betting on sporting events.
George Rover, former Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, was appointed as the Chief Integrity Officer for SWIMA and will be responsible for the organization’s day-to-day functions. “We are excited to roll out the first integrity monitoring association in the United States, ensuring a safe and secure betting environment for consumers across the country,” Rover said. “We look forward to partnering with gaming regulators and law enforcement in all states that legalize sports betting to undermine fraud and manipulation and protect the integrity of sports betting.”
The initial members of SWIMA, who will each be represented on its Board of Delegates, include most of the major sports betting operators with the expectation that all operators in the United States will join as it is rolled out to all jurisdictions.
Stephen Martino, Senior Vice President & Chief Compliance Officer for MGM Resorts International and formerly the chief gaming regulator in Maryland and Kansas, and Jan Jones, Executive Vice President of Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility for Caesars and formerly the Mayor of Las Vegas, will serve as SWIMA’s initial Board of Trustees.
With sports betting being legalized in more and more states, SWIMA’s principal goal is to protect consumers, operators and other stakeholders from potential fraud caused by the unfair manipulation of events on which betting is offered. Reaching this goal requires a multi-jurisdictional approach with operators in different states and tribal jurisdictions sharing information related to unusual or suspicious activity in their sports betting operations within and between different markets and, when appropriate, with gaming regulators and law enforcement.
Members will promote SWIMA’s core objectives, which include:
- Providing a safe and secure betting environment for consumers in the legal markets in the United States; and
- Protecting the integrity of sports betting and related activity by detecting bad actors and discouraging activities that profit from unfair betting markets.
SWIMA will be fully funded by sports betting operators in all markets in the United States and not require funding from any state or the federal government, taxpayers or the sports leagues. SWIMA will work with risk management professionals and gaming regulators in identifying suspicious activity and will provide alerts to all members that could result in investigation and follow up action as necessary.
“We are thankful for the support and guidance from ESSA (Sports Betting Integrity), a European Integrity Monitoring Association that has years of experience in monitoring betting markets across Europe,” Rover added. ESSA assisted SWIMA to facilitate a quick operational rollout. It is expected that SWIMA will continue to work closely with ESSA and other integrity monitoring groups to combat sports betting related corruption on a global basis.
About the Sports Wagering Integrity Monitoring Association
Established in November 2018, the Sports Wagering Integrity Monitoring Association (SWIMA) is a not-for-profit organization designed to detect and discourage fraud and other illegal or unethical activity related to betting on sporting events in the United States. SWIMA is a collaborative entity that works in partnership with state and tribal gaming; federal, state and tribal law enforcement; and other various stakeholders comprised of the leading sports book operators in the United States.