As the cricketing world gears up for the much-awaited Asia Cup and the Men’s ODI Cricket World Cup, India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has taken a step to curb the promotion of online gambling and betting platforms. The ministry has released a set of new guidelines that sternly warn media entities, online advertising intermediaries, and social media platforms to abstain from displaying any form of advertisements or promotional content related to online gambling. 

Government Raises Alarm Over Surge in Betting Ads During Major Sporting Events

The Ministry’s advisory emphasizes the recurring trend of a surge in promotions for betting and gambling platforms during major sporting events, notably cricket tournaments. The government has expressed concern over the potential repercussions of these advertisements, citing instances of money laundering networks that have been connected to such activities. 

A recent action by the government against agents involved in collecting funds from gambling apps and channeling them out of the country and also blocking numerous gambling apps has brought these issues to the forefront. The Ministry believes that these mechanisms pose a severe financial and socio-economic risk, especially to the younger demographic, thereby jeopardizing the country’s overall financial security.

In light of previous advisories issued in June and October 2022, as well as in April preceding the Indian Premier League (IPL), the government reiterates the illegality of betting and gambling activities and their promotion through any media platform. Such promotions have been deemed contrary to various statutes, including the Consumer Protection Act and the Press Council Act. The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules have also been invoked, specifically cautioning against content that promotes online games that are not permissible under the law.

The Ministry’s directive has received support from officials who stress that non-compliance could result in legal action taken by the government under relevant statutes. The advisory aims to prevent these promotions from exploiting the popularity of cricket and major sporting events, thereby protecting the financial interests and security of the nation. 

With the Asia Cup and the ICC ODI World Cup just around the corner, the government has implored all stakeholders in the media industry to uphold these guidelines and prevent the dissemination of content that promotes illegal gambling and betting platforms.

In January this year, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology introduced draft online gaming rules as part of the Indian Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code, aiming to regulate the growing online gaming industry due to concerns over gambling addiction, particularly among minors.

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According to FIFA’s Integrity Task Force, there have been no suspicious bets placed during the tournaments, and the 64-game event that was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.

FIFA Keeps Women’s World Cup Safe of Manipulation

Match-fixing has been a concern for sports events, particularly FIFA which governs the world’s most popular sport and has to deal with the bulk of match manipulation. Commenting on its findings, FIFA said:

The collaborative effort between FIFA and key international stakeholders in the field of sports integrity ensured an experienced, coordinated, and timely response, with each participating stakeholder contributing their specific expertise throughout the tournament.

FIFA

The lack of wrongdoing is encouraging pointing to increased scrutiny of the betting markets globally and ensuring the integrity of the competition. The contest was safeguarded by a number of high-profile and ranking law enforcement agencies, including INTERPOL and the FBI that have long been interested in sports fraud as they usually tie it to more serious crimes.

The New Zealand Police and Sport Integrity Australia were also involved. Commenting on its approach, FIFA said that it used big data to analyze betting activity on the event and has not found evidence to suggest that any manipulation had indeed taken place.

This is the latest successful investigation concluded by FIFA’s Integrity Task Force, a fairly new unit that has been hard at work fighting match manipulation. FIFA previously worked hard to ensure the Men’s World Cup in Qatar is safeguarded.

Match Fixing in Sports Continues

However, the fact that FIFA is not finding manipulated games does not mean that corruption is gone from the sport – it may just not be focused on the most prominent events that attract the most eyeballs. Sportradar, a company that follows such instances of match manipulation, was able to track more than 1,000 potentially manipulated games in 2022 alone – the first time Sportradar posted such serious numbers.

The exact number of suspicious matches hit 1,212. Soccer was by far the most attractive sport for potential offenses related to match-fixing with 775 of the alerts focusing on the game.

Sportradar though is more insightful as to the reasons why this happens with the company believing that when many lower-tier athletes retire, they may be tempted to follow down a path that allows them to monetize their inside knowledge through illicit means. Luckily, at least for now, this does not seem to be the case in FIFA.

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FC Dallas vs. Inter Miami is played in Fresno, a city in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, meaning that Sunday’s game will mark the first time Lionel Messi is playing for the Herons on the road. In the three games he’s played in Miami, the soccer GOAT was brilliant, but can he continue to do so away from home?

He’ll probably put on a good show on Sunday evening, but the real question is will that be enough for the Herons to advance to the next stage of the Leagues Cup? The thing is that they’re locking horns with a very tricky opponent, who just loves playing big matches.

FC Dallas vs. Inter Miami Odds

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: Toyota Stadium in Fresno, Texas
• Date: Sunday, August 6, 2023
• Time: 8:00 PM ET
• How to Watch: Apple TV

FC Dallas is a Real Giant-Slayer in 2023

Sure, you wouldn’t think of FC Dallas as an MLS heavyweight, but this team does have some amazing players on the roster. Forward Jesus Ferreira is arguably this team’s biggest star, who got himself in the international news after impressing with the USMNT at the Gold Cup a few weeks ago.

His colleague from the center of the field, Sebastian Lletget is an exceptional playmaker, and the two have been working well together. This explains why FC Dallas has scored a total of seven goals in the three games of the Leagues Cup.

Sure, this team still hasn’t faced as tough an opponent as Inter Miami in this competition, but FC Dallas is famously good against tough opponents. In the 2023 MLS, we’ve already seen the Texans slay such giants as Los Angeles FC, St. Louis City, and Austin FC. This team has also defeated Inter Miami once this year, but it was way back when no one had any idea Lionel Messi was going to come.

Lionel Messi and His Inter Miami Teammates are Going for the Title

Lionel Messi’s arrival has made an instant impact on Inter Miami, whose ambitions are now super-high. The Herons have set their eyes on the Leagues Cup title. They want to lift the trophy, and they have every right to dream big.

Messi has been fabulous since coming to Florida, scoring five goals already and recording one assist. He could’ve scored one more, but in the game against Orlando City, he let his struggling teammate Josef Martinez take a penalty.

The former Atlanta United striker scored from the penalty spot, thus ending his 5-game goal drought. It put him in a great mood for the remainder of the game, as evident from the fact that he set up one goal for Messi later on.

With him and Messi in top form, the Herons look capable of beating anyone in the Leagues Cup. But it’s not just about them. Sergio Busquets has also been fantastic, and Jordi Alba is expected to start showing up very soon. The former Barcelona left-back made his Inter Miami debut in the previous round after coming off the bench. This time, we could see him start the game.

FC Dallas vs. Inter Miami Prediction

FC Dallas is a team that seems capable of scoring against any opponent in North and Central America. However, we’re 100% certain that the Texans are incapable of keeping their net safe against Messi & Co. That said, we think the Herons are going to thrash them on Sunday.

Picks: Inter Miami to win & over 2.5 goals

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The United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports (ULIS), a mutualized monitoring body dedicated to stopping corruption in sports, has been selected to protect the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 from fraud. In this position, the ULIS is tasked with monitoring the betting markets throughout the event and identifying potential suspicious activity.

The ULIS was selected for the position during a meeting of the FIFA Integrity Task Force, which it is a member of. The preliminary meeting was held on July 20 and was attended by other members of the Task Force as well.

Major international organizations such as the Council of Europe, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, INTERPOL and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime participated in the meeting and oversaw the designation of ULIS as the body responsible for the betting integrity of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

The professional women’s sporting event will take place from July 20 to August 20. The event is jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

The ULIS Will Shield the Tournament from Corruption

The FIFA Integrity Task Force is an alliance that seeks to protect one of the biggest soccer associations from the manipulation of betting markets and match outcomes. As a member, the ULIS is responsible for waging war on fraud and protecting the sector from corruption.

As the body responsible for safeguarding the integrity of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, the ULIS will leverage its monitoring intelligence and expertise to crack down on suspicious activities. In addition, the body will promote fair play throughout the competition.

To protect the league from fraud, the ULIS will also rely on the ULIS Monitoring and Intelligence Group, a collaborative platform that serves as a fixed international lottery task force that encompasses ULIS members and a team of industry experts.

This will notably mark the second time a FIFA Women’s World Cup event is being monitored by a task force. The first time, for reference, was in 2019.

The ULIS Continues to Grow with New Members

Earlier this year, the ULIS welcomed a bunch of new members. In late May, the integrity body was joined by the Spillemyndigheden, Denmark’s official gambling regulator.

Two months earlier, the ULIS also welcomed the British Columbia Lottery on board. Around the same time, the monitoring body also welcomed Playtech as an associate member.

The latest official member of the body is NeoGames.

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The fifth edition of the event is going to reunite a number of prominent teams from the world of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, including Heroic, Astralis, and Fnatic. Those are some of the top-performing teams according to HLTV.org, a media specializing in the coverage of the video game’s competitive scene.

Bringing Quality CS:GO Events to Esports Fans

Pinnacle Cup V will see Pinnacle, the sports betting company hosting the iconic series, continue its data partnership with GRID, and expand its collaboration with Eden Esports on production. Pinnacle Cup will in the meantime remain a format where teams of different skill levels can still come forward and showcase their skills and abilities. Commenting on these developments, both companies expressed their excitement to be a part of the new format.

GRID Esports head of sponsorships Harry Wiggett said that by choosing to stick with his company, Pinnacle was securing access to top-class entertainment for CS:GO fans with data at the core. Wiggett added:

Pinnacle’s commitment to contribute to the esports scene’s sustainability is unparalleled, and the fact that we are working together on the Pinnacle Cup project for the third consecutive year is the best testimony to our shared values and aligned vision.

GRID Esports head of sponsorships Harry Wiggett

The format features a Play-In stage which will see participating teams play in a Swiss Stage format and then make it into the Playoffs.

Teams of Varying Levels Headed into the Pinnacle Crucible

The Swiss Stage will have teams such as Spirit, ECSTATIC, Aurora, and EYEBALLERS compete for a chance to progress further. The winning team of the event will secure the bulk of the $50,000 prize pool as they go along. Last year, Heroic emerged victorious in Lund, Sweden.

Pinnacle has made a commitment to bring the event to global audiences and the event will be streamed in both English and Russian via the company’s Twitch channels. There will also be a stream available on the company’s YouTube channel. Pinnacle is also one of the earliest adopters of esports betting solutions.

The company started offering esports bets way ahead of other sportsbooks and bookmakers in the markets. In the early days, Pinnacle was one of the very few companies to make this vertical profitable. This was owing to the company’s innate understanding of the segment.

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Ayr Racecourse has welcomed this ongoing commitment on behalf of the sportsbook and said that the Virgin Bet Ayr Gold Cup has reached a value of £180,000 ($235,000) and continues to be a perpetual source of excitement for fans.

Ayr Racecourse Finds Unfaltering Partner

The event has also grown in prominence and has been able to engage with fans of horse racing, not least thanks to the backing of the bookmaker. The venue also hosts the Gold Cup and Silver Cup, as well as the Bronze Cup, making it the only venue that keeps all three in the same place across the United Kingdom.

As to Virgin Bet’s actual commitment to the event, the sportsbook will be sponsoring the entire three-day Festival which will kick off on Thursday, September 21, and will also feature the Virgin Bet Kilkerran Cup. On Friday, the festival will then feature Virgin Bet Bronze Cup and the sportsbook will similarly sponsor the Saturday Gold Cup race as well.

Commenting on this opportunity, Ayr managing director David Brown has expressed his thanks to the new sponsor and the significance of this ongoing relationship with the bookmaker:

The Virgin Bet name will be associated with the entire 3-day Festival once again and, as well as the Ayr Gold Cup itself, another 8 key contests over the 3-days will be sponsored by Virgin Bet, including the prestigious Firth Of Clyde Stakes for 2-year-olds and the mile and a quarter Doonside Cup.

Virgin Bet marketing director Ric Leask was similarly excited about the event. He said that it was with great pleasure that his company was offering sponsorship for the event for a third consecutive year.

The Rising Star and Fixture in British Sports Betting

“Virgin Bet remains committed to being a leading player in the world of horse racing, and sponsoring this prestigious race demonstrates this,” Leask added. Virgin Bet is one of the newest sports betting companies in the United Kingdom. The company was launched in 2019 in the market, and it received accolades as “The Rising Star” from SBC 2021.

Virgin Bet works closely with LiveScore Group to deliver some of the best sports betting experiences. Just as well, the company continues to sponsor prominent racing and sports events.

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It’s time for another USMNT vs. Canada duel. Only three weeks after the Americans beat the Canadians 2-0 to claim the CONCACAF Nations League, the two meet again. This time, it’s in the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

It’s a different competition, and things are quite different now. The thing is that the biggest soccer stars from each country are not taking part in the 2023 Gold Cup. For instance, the USMNT is without such elite players as Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, and Folarin Balogun. Meanwhile, Canada is without its biggest superstar Alphonso Davies, as well as Jonathan David, Cyle Larin, and a few others.

Nevertheless, even without their best players, these two teams have made it to the Gold Cup quarterfinal. But which of these will end the journey at this stage? Let’s find out!

USMNT vs. Canada Odds

*Odds taken from FanDuel on Thursday, July 6, 2023.

When, Where, and How to Watch?

• Place: TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio
• Date: Sunday, July 9, 2023
• Time: 5:00 PM ET
• How to Watch: FOX Sports

USMNT’s Offense Has Been Killing It in Gold Cup 2023

After a relatively bleak performance in the opening round of the Gold Cup, in which they drew 1-1 with Jamaica, the Americans went on to blow out Saint Kitts & Nevis and Trinidad & Tobago. They won each of those games 6-0.

FC Dallas’ striker Jesus Ferreira was the standout player in both of those, scoring a hat-trick each time. The rest of the goals scored by the USMNT at the 2023 Gold Cup were the work of Djordje Mihailovic (two goals), Brandon Vazquez (two goals), Bryan Reynolds, Gianluca Busio, and Cade Cowell.

The Americans have been great at the back as well. They did concede a goal against Jamaica, but other than that, their goalie Matt Turner hasn’t been much busy. That’s no surprise knowing that he’s got some amazing defenders to protect him – Matt Miazga, Aaron Long, DeAndre Yedlin, and so on.

Luck’s Been on Canada’s Side So Far

The Canadians have made it to the quarterfinal of the Gold Cup but saying that they deserved it might not be 100% true. The thing is that they got to the knockout stage with a 1-2-1 record in the group phase. That’s kind of disappointing considering that they played in a relatively easy group.

They were -455 favorites against Guadeloupe in the first round, but the game finished with 2-2 on the scoreboard. In round 2, their 2023 Gold Cup odds were -167 to beat Guatemala, but the game finished with no goals on either end. Finally, in the third round, they got their first win of the tournament. They beat the +3300 underdog Cuba 4-2.

USMNT vs. Canada Prediction

Our prediction for this game is that the United States men’s national team will steamroll Canada. The Americans have been playing much better soccer than their northern neighbors so anything but a convincing win for the 2023 Gold Cup hosts would be a surprise.  

Pick: USMNT to win

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