“The Wide World of Sports Betting Fraud” - ACFE’ Fraud Magazine

The Association of Certified Gaming Compliance Specialists (ACGCS) is pleased to see our Founder and CEO, Dr Ian Messenger, featured in the September/October 2026 issue of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ Fraud Magazine.

In the cover article, “The Wide World of Sports Betting Fraud,” Dr Messenger discusses the growing convergence between fraud, anti-money laundering, and gaming integrity within sports betting and online gaming.

One of the key messages is that apparently isolated incidents - such as account takeover, synthetic identities, bonus abuse, or unusual betting activity - may be indicators of much broader organized criminal activity.

For gaming operators and regulators, this reinforces the importance of moving beyond siloed approaches to financial crime risk.

Effective prevention increasingly requires integrated fraud, AML, and gaming integrity monitoring, supported by technology, intelligence sharing, and experienced human judgment.

We are proud to contribute to the wider international discussion on emerging financial crime risks within the gaming sector and to support professionals responsible for protecting the integrity of regulated gaming.