IFHA Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related Crime


The IFHA Council on Anti-Illegal Betting & Related Crime is a think tank comprised of members from organizations engaged in horse racing and sports integrity, law enforcement, the UNODC, and academia. In October 2024 it succeeded the ARF Council on Anti-Illegal Betting & Related Financial Crime, which was established in 2017, thereby extending the focus worldwide through the global leader for the international sport of thoroughbred racing

The purpose, objectives, and impact of the original ARF Council have become global, and as such have outgrown the original regional role. With a global impact, and a global set of stakeholders, and by addressing global issues affecting racing and other sports relating to illegal betting and financial crime, the Council has moved under the auspices of the IFHA to become a global organisation.

The purpose of the IFHA Council is to foster and enhance international co-operation among horse racing operators, regulators, intergovernmental organizations, government agencies and NGOs in order to better combat the threat of illegal betting and other crime risks to the integrity of the sport of horse racing in particular, as well as sport in general.

The IFHA Council performs the following functions:

  1. Conduct research into illegal betting, related crime and associated integrity threats to horse racing and other sports by:
    • Developing materials highlighting the modes of operations of illegal betting markets at national, regional and global levels, where possible
    • Researching the impacts of illegal betting and related crime on horse racing, other sports, and society
    • Researching the impacts of regulation of legal betting on the illegal betting market
    • Identifying practical measures to combat the problems of illegal betting and related crime affecting integrity in horse racing and other sports and communicate these to governments, regulators, racing and sports administrators, and other stakeholders relevant to the issues
  2. Share findings of this research with stakeholders to protect the integrity of horse racing and other sports, and raise awareness of the wide-ranging dangers illegal betting and related crime pose to horse racing and other sports as well as society at large by:
    • Sharing information relating to illegal betting and related crime risk with stakeholders
    • Showing how betting monitoring models can support horse racing and other sports integrity management
    • Formalizing anti-illegal betting intelligence sharing among Council members
    • Raising awareness generally and educating stakeholders of the risks created by the existence of illegal betting markets

IFHA Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related Crime

The IFHA Council is a think tank comprised of members from organizations engaged in horse racing and sports integrity, law enforcement, the UNODC, and academia.

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