Activision Blizzard’s top esports leagues, the Overwatch League and Call of Duty League, are partnering with integrity service firm Sportradar for protection from betting corruption, the company announced today.
As a part of the deal, Sportradar will be responsible for monitoring global betting related to both leagues and will also provide them with intelligence and investigation services as needed. Sportradar will be looking out for issues like match-fixing and inside information abuse, among other things.
Financial terms of the multi-year deal were not disclosed.
Sportradar’s track record and client portfolio speak for themselves. The company supports more than 80 sports and esports bodies, including the major U.S. sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, and MLB.
“Working with Sportradar is a step to further reinforce the importance of fair play,” Activision Blizzard Esports head of strategic initiatives Jason Hahn said. “As our esports activities continue to grow and as fans increasingly engage with wagering on matches, we need to ensure we are doing as much as we can to proactively protect our ecosystem. Working with Sportradar, an industry leader, is important in protecting our players, teams and matches and giving fans the best experience they deserve.”
This news follows the expansion of Nevada gambling options after many sporting events were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With many esports events moving to online competition, Las Vegas began taking bets on esports matches as a way to alleviate the strain put on it from missing out on spring sports action.
