The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has partnered with three of its members to form a new athlete education program in Canada.
The initiative will focus on the potential threat to athletes, sports and the regulated market from betting related match-fixing and fraud.
IBIA members Bet365, Betway and FanDuel have pledged to invest at least CA$300,000 (£177,745/€205,954/US$220,078) over three years to support the program.
The funding partners are also in talks regarding a delivery body, with the aim of finalizing this in the coming weeks and launching the program in the second half of 2023.
Once live, the new program will include face-to-face athlete training, an e-learning portal, an anonymous reporting app and awareness raising material.
“IBIA is delighted that our members, such as bet365, Betway and FanDuel, are so committed to sports betting education and are prepared to invest in such an important initiative,” IBIA chief executive Khalid Ali said.
“All of the partners are excited to see the positive impact this project will have on maintaining the integrity of Canadian sport and the players themselves. For IBIA, sports integrity, and investing in the people that make sport happen, matters.”
Jean-Francois Reymond, education ambassador for the IBIA and a former professional basketball player, added: “Protecting the integrity of sport means protecting the integrity of athletes.
“Most often through a lack of awareness, it is the athletes who are risking their careers and livelihoods. Our objective is to build a best-in-class program for all athletes that serves to protect the integrity of Canadian sport and the careers of Canada’s athletes.”