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:
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
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.
