Betting technology and sports data provider Sportradar on Friday refuted “strongly” the allegations made by business news outlet Business Insider Italia that linked it to illegal online gambling operations conducted on the territory of Italy by the local mafia.
In a statement published on its official website, the major industry provider denied any involvement in the illegal provision of sports betting services and said the allegations leveled were “incorrect, untrue and defamatory.”
In an extensive report published by Business Insider Italia on October 30, 2019, the business news outlet detailed Sportradar and its subsidiary Betradar’s alleged links to Malta-based sports betting operators that provided wagering services in Italy without being authorized to do so by the country’s gambling regulator Agenzia delle dogane e dei Monopoli (ADM).
The allegations against the sports betting technology provider surfaced in relation to the ongoing Galassia investigations in Italy. Last year, Italian authorities launched a massive crackdown on a number of illegal betting operations that were believed to be conducted by obscure Malta- and Curacao-based companies which, in turn, were allegedly run by the Italian mafia.
Sportradar is the main data distributor of Italy’s Serie A, B, C, and D football leagues. However, according to Business Insider Italia, the company was also providing a range of its services to illegal gambling operators that reportedly handled annual turnover of around €4 billion.
Sportradar Fervently Denies the Allegations
In its statement, Sportradar noted that it “acts, and has always acted, in full compliance with local and international regulations, legal requirements and regulatory bodies, and has never been involved in any alleged illegal activities.”
The company went on that the recent article contained inaccurate information and misrepresented its work both in the Italian and the global gambling markets. Sportradar further noted that it “completely rejects” the article’s content and that it takes the allegations very seriously, and is considering taking legal action to “protect its business and reputation.”
Sportradar has been pursuing expansion opportunities in the lucrative US sports betting market. The company first opened for business in the US a couple of years ago, but last year’s strikedown of the long-standing federal ban on sports betting has created fresh new opportunities that enabled it to further grow its market share in this key market.
In the US, Sportradar is an official partner of all four major leagues: NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL.
The company announced this past August that it has extended its partnership with the NFL, which was originally forged in 2015. Under the new deal, Sportradar is now able to distribute “real-time official play-by-play [NFL] data”
Source: Scommesse clandestine, il pentito accusa la società scelta da Uefa e Fifa per i controlli: ‘Pagavo Sportradar in nero’. Truffa da 4,8 mld, Business Insider Italia
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the day’s top casino news stories
