ESSA and the IOC have strengthened their co-operation ahead of Rio 2016 ©ESSA

A “heightened level” of security will be in place to deal with betting-related corruption at Rio 2016 after the European Sport Security Association (ESSA) strengthened their co-operation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

ESSA, the organisation which guards against illegal gambling and match-fixing in sport, issues alerts to betting regulators and sporting governing bodies if its systems detect potential foul play.

They have partnered with the IOC’s Integrity Betting Intelligence System (IBIS) to ensure all 306 events due to be held as part of the Olympics in the Brazilian city take place without the risk of corruption.

The IOC, which also has an agreement in place with Interpol, and ESSA collaborated during the London 2012 Games.

“Sport isn’t sport unless it is fair and its outcome not predetermined, and whilst we haven’t seen any unusual betting activity in previous Games, we are not complacent about the dangers that corrupters continue to present to the sporting and betting sectors,” ESSA secretary general Khalid Ali said.

“ESSA and its responsible regulated members are intent on doing all we can to help the IOC to protect the world’s pinnacle multi-sport event from betting related corruption.”

Pâquerette Girard Zappelli, the IOC’s ethics and compliance chief officer, has welcomed the stronger relations between the organisation and ESSA.

Tennis is often seen as one of the main danger sports when it comes to betting-related corruption ©Getty Images
Tennis is often seen as one of the main danger sports when it comes to betting-related corruption ©Getty Images

“The information sharing relationship with betting companies is a key pillar of the IOC’s integrity strategy and is a crucial part of the IBIS system,” he said.

“It is an approach that is based on partnership and cooperation between parties with a mutual goal to prevent corruption from destroying the ethics and values of sport.

“The IOC welcomes the continuing commitment of ESSA and its members in this fight.”

ESSA has recently added to its portfolio of partnerships with nations across the continent by penning deals with French and Lithuanian regulators.

“The association now includes 21 of the world’s largest regulated betting operators feeding into its alert and reporting system which will be employed to identify suspicious betting during the Games, running 5-21 August,” ESSA said in a statement.

It was announced earlier this month that eighty-three per cent of all suspicious betting activity recorded by the ESSA in the second quarter of this year involved tennis.

In the second quarter of 2016 there were 41 suspicious cases with 34 - or 83 per cent - involving tennis.

Four cases involved football while there was one each in snooker, handball and beach volleyball.