Match-fixing figures for 2025 in the Netherlands

Match-fixing remains one of the most serious threats to the integrity of global sport. The Netherlands has published its data for 2025.

2025 under close scrutiny

On the surface, nothing has really changed. However, the figures published in the latest Dutch analysis of match-fixing show that sports manipulation continues to be a concern for authorities and betting operators. In 2025, twelve reports of suspicious sporting events were submitted to regulators, a level almost identical to that observed in the previous year.

These reports came from nine licensed operators. All of them detected anomalies related to betting behaviour rather than direct evidence of sports manipulation. It was the bookmakers’ algorithms, analysts and monitoring mechanisms that raised the alarm even before the competitions concerned were publicly identified.

Contrary to the image often portrayed, betting operators have become key players in the fight against match-fixing. The majority of alerts in 2025 came from the observation of unusual betting patterns. Suddenly high amounts, radically changed betting behaviour or an abnormal concentration of bets on an unlikely outcome are all indicators that can trigger an alert.

Betting on one’s own competition

Of the twelve reports recorded in 2025, four concern a particularly sensitive situation: individuals betting on a competition in which they themselves were involved or for which they had inside information.

Such cases do not always constitute proven match-fixing, but they represent a major breach of sporting integrity. Possession of inside information — unannounced injuries, tactical choices, tension in the dressing room — can be enough to distort the balance of bets.

In these four cases, the operators immediately took preventive measures. The bets were cancelled or the accounts concerned were closed. The sports federations were also informed so that they could assess possible disciplinary sanctions.

A major player in the sports betting market recently called for legislative change. Today, some operators claim that they are unable to directly transmit the identities of suspicious bettors to sports authorities, which slows down investigations.

Football and tennis at the forefront

The sports concerned reveal a trend that is well known to investigators. Of the twelve reports recorded, six concerned football matches, five concerned tennis and only one concerned a combat sport.

Football remains the most watched and most bet on sport in the world. Its huge volume of bets makes it more difficult to detect irregularities immediately. Tennis, on the other hand, has a structural vulnerability: a single player can directly influence the outcome of a match or a specific event within a match.

However, the authorities have not disclosed the competitions or matches concerned, a discretion deemed necessary to protect ongoing investigations.

International cooperation, key to detection

One of the reports from 2025 perfectly illustrates the global dimension of the phenomenon. The alert did not come from a national operator but from an international network of cooperation between bookmakers.

This type of collaboration makes it possible to compare betting flows in several countries simultaneously. When suspicious activity appears on a match, network members immediately check whether similar trends exist elsewhere. In the case studied, no unusual behaviour was ultimately observed among national bettors.

A stable threat… or a better organised one?

The number of reports remained almost identical between 2024 and 2025 — thirteen compared to twelve. At first glance, this stability could be interpreted as an encouraging sign, but several specialists urge caution.

A decrease in alerts does not necessarily mean a decrease in manipulation attempts. It may also reflect the increased sophistication of fraudsters, who are able to circumvent traditional detection systems. Lower-level competitions, which receive less media coverage, seem particularly vulnerable. They offer fertile ground: reduced surveillance, modest financial stakes and players who are sometimes less aware of the risks associated with betting.

Modern sport is under constant scrutiny. Bookmakers, regulators and federations now work in an interdependent ecosystem where the slightest anomaly can trigger an investigation. But behind the apparent stability of the figures may lie a more worrying reality — that of match-fixing that is less visible but still present.

The situation in Belgium

One of the most striking recent examples in Belgium concerns several tennis players who were punished for sports corruption in 2025. The International Tennis Integrity Agency imposed heavy suspensions after proving their involvement in an international match-fixing network. According to investigations, these players agreed to deliberately alter their performance in secondary professional tournaments. The targeted matches were then exploited by gamblers linked to the criminal network.

Other cases have regularly come to light. These cases show that match-fixing often thrives where financial pressure exceeds the economic means of clubs or athletes.

Belgium, like the rest of Europe, is thus engaged in a constant struggle to preserve the credibility of sport.