The Netherlands Gambling Authority has reported a concerning development in its latest integrity review: professional athletes are increasingly placing bets on competitions in which they are directly involved.

While the overall number of match-fixing alerts remained stable in 2025, regulators identified a new pattern that was absent from last year’s data — athletes wagering on their own sports.

12 Match-Fixing Alerts in 2025

According to the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA), nine licensed sportsbooks submitted a total of 12 suspicious betting reports between 1 January and 31 December 2025.

The findings were presented in the regulator’s annual trend analysis, compiled by its Sports Betting Intelligence Unit.

Breakdown by Sport

The alerts were distributed across several disciplines:

  • Football: 6 cases
  • Tennis: 5 cases
  • Combat sports: 1 case

Three of the flagged competitions took place within the Netherlands.

Each alert followed unusual activity detected by operators on their betting platforms.

Athletes Betting on Their Own Competitions

A notable shift between 2024 and 2025 was the emergence of athletes betting on events they were professionally involved in.

Regulators identified:

  • Four cases of athletes placing bets on their own matches or leagues
  • Activity that was not recorded in the previous year’s report

Such behaviour is strictly prohibited due to the risk of insider knowledge and conflicts of interest.

In each instance, sportsbooks intervened quickly:

  • Bets were cancelled
  • Accounts were suspended or closed

Although the number remains relatively small, the regulator considers the trend a significant integrity risk.

Suspicious Wagering Patterns Beyond Athlete Bets

Beyond the four direct athlete cases, the KSA highlighted seven additional incidents involving unusual betting behaviour.

These included:

  • Repeated high-value bets on single events
  • Sudden and sharp changes in betting behaviour
  • Large stakes on lower-profile competitions

In three cases, the irregular betting activity was tied to the same sporting event.

Operators responded by:

  • Cancelling wagers
  • Limiting betting accounts
  • Removing specific markets

Live Betting Timing Raises Red Flags

Some alerts were triggered by wagers placed at unusual moments during live matches — a potential indicator of inside information.

In one separate case, a sportsbook filed an alert after receiving a signal from an international monitoring partner regarding a potentially high-risk match. However, its internal investigation found no irregular activity among its customers.

Overall Alert Numbers Remain Stable

Despite the rise in athlete self-betting cases, total reports were broadly consistent year-on-year.

  • 2024: 13 match manipulation alerts
  • 2025: 12 match manipulation alerts

Nine operators submitted alerts in 2025, compared with eight the previous year. Notably, four of the reporting operators were different from those involved in 2024.

Updated Integrity Guidelines Issued

The Netherlands Gambling Authority has since updated its integrity guidance for licensed betting operators.

The revised framework outlines expectations around:

  • Market design and risk controls
  • Ongoing risk assessments
  • Mandatory reporting of suspicious betting activity

At the same time, sports organisations have intensified educational programmes aimed at professional athletes, focusing on gambling risks and compliance obligations.

Regulators are continuing to review sportsbooks’ monitoring systems to ensure betting markets remain protected from manipulation.

Summary

The 2025 integrity review by the Netherlands Gambling Authority reveals a new and sensitive risk factor: athletes betting on competitions in which they participate.

While total match-fixing alerts remain stable, the emergence of self-betting cases highlights evolving integrity challenges. Dutch regulators and licensed operators are now strengthening oversight, reporting standards and education efforts to prevent conflicts of interest and safeguard market trust.