TLDR
- Sportradar flagged 1,116 suspicious matches in 2025 across 94 countries and 12 sports, less than 0.5% of over one million monitored events
- Match-fixing has shifted from rigging outcomes to manipulating in-game events like corners and fouls, making detection harder
- Live betting markets account for 77% of all match-fixing cases
- Football leads with 618 suspicious matches, followed by basketball, tennis, and table tennis
- Fraud activity is declining in Europe and South America but rising in Asia and Africa
Match-fixing cases fell in volume during 2025, but the methods behind them have become harder to spot. According to data from Sportradar, 1,116 matches showed signs of manipulation last year across 94 countries and 12 different sports.
That number represents less than 0.5% of the more than one million sporting events monitored by the organization. While the percentage is small, experts warn the threat is far from over.
The nature of match-fixing has changed. In the past, the most common scheme involved a team or player deliberately losing a game. That approach has become less common.
Today, fixers target in-game events instead. Things like the number of corners, fouls, or throw-ins are now the focus of manipulation. These micro-events have less impact on the final result, which makes them much harder to flag.
Live Betting Drives the Majority of Suspicious Activity
Modern schemes also involve fewer participants. That smaller footprint adds another layer of difficulty for investigators trying to identify fraud.
Live betting has become the primary vehicle for match-fixing. According to the Sportradar data, 77% of all suspicious matches involved live betting markets. The fast-paced nature of in-play wagering creates conditions that are easier for fixers to exploit.
Football remains the sport most affected by manipulation. In 2025, 618 suspicious football matches were recorded. Basketball, tennis, and table tennis also saw cases flagged during the year.
The geography of match-fixing is also shifting. Europe and South America have seen a decline in suspicious activity. At the same time, cases have increased in Asia and Africa.
Analysts say this pattern suggests that criminal groups are moving operations to regions with weaker oversight and fewer controls.
AI Detection Improves but Human Analysts Still Essential
Advances in artificial intelligence have improved detection capabilities. Automated systems can now scan betting markets in real time and flag unusual patterns faster than before. This technology helped increase the number of detected cases between 2024 and 2025.
However, experts say human oversight is still a critical part of the process. Algorithms can identify suspicious data, but trained analysts are needed to provide context and verify findings.
One specialist quoted in the Sportradar report said the problem has not disappeared. It has simply changed form.
Organizations like FIFA continue to invest in prevention efforts. Education programs have reached hundreds of thousands of people involved in professional sports. These programs aim to raise awareness about the risks and warning signs of match-fixing.
Despite these measures, criminal networks continue to adapt quickly to new regulations and monitoring tools. The speed at which fixers adjust their methods remains a challenge for the industry.
Sportradar’s 2025 data showed that while the overall rate of suspicious matches stayed below 0.5%, the complexity of each case has increased compared to previous years.
