Fair Play

Interwetten ensures fair play and best industry practices in all product categories, regardless whether it concerns sports-betting, virtual sports, casino, live casino, games or scratchcards. 


First of all, Interwetten holds European licenses for the majority of its gaming products. This means that all operations are subject to strict regulatory guidelines and constant monitoring by the authorities in charge. For further information on current licenses held by Interwetten, please refer to our general terms and conditions.

The Malta Gaming Authority is the regulatory body responsible for supervising the operations of Interwetten Gaming Ltd on www.interwetten.com.

In addition, Interwetten enforces fair play and best industry practices through standardized and efficient in-house procedures. All transactions and data are centrally saved in accordance with the highest security provisions and in strict compliance with anti-money-laundering regulations. Thanks to its excellent customer service, Interwetten has established a reputation for fast and guaranteed pay-outs. Furthermore, all accounting procedures comply with the international standards for financial reporting and are subject to annual audits by one of the “Big4” accounting firms. In order to promote fair play and security in sports, Interwetten is a member of the European Sports Security Association.


The European Sports Security Association

The European Sports Security Association (ESSA) was established in 2005 by the leading online sports book operators in Europe to monitor any irregular betting patterns or possible insider betting from within each sport.

To achieve this goal ESSA implemented an early warning system between its members that highlights any suspicious betting activity. The Early Warning System allows ESSA to work with the Sports Regulators and their disciplinary and legal department, ensuring that when an alert is given the regulator is informed immediately which may prevent the possibility of any game manipulation on a given event. So far, ESSA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with FIFA, UEFA, EPFL, The FA, DFB, ATP, ITF, WTA and has established close relations with the IOC and many other sports regulators.

Through initiatives and partnerships like these ESSA believes it can be the guardian of sports integrity.


About ESSA

The European Sports Security Association (ESSA) is a non-profit organisation whose members are the leading online sports book operators in Europe. It was initiated in 2005 as a result of the "Hoyzer affair" (a German football scandal involving a referee called Robert Hoyzer) which led to the land based/offline German state monopoly to lose millions of euros because they lacked the means to detect betting patterns.

While the 'Hoyzer affair' did not impact the online gambling operators, it nevertheless acted as a catalyst for them to work together to share information about games that they found suspicious. Cooperation was facilitated by the fact that the internet is the best transparency tool, where every transaction can be monitored, registered and traced. Online gambling companies employ state-of-the-art tools to ensure that gaming behaviour and money transfers are recorded and checked for suspicious transactions.

In 2005 the leading online operators in the EU formed the European Sports Security Association (ESSA) with a mandate to keep sport clean and free from manipulation. To achieve this goal, ESSA has implemented an early warning system between its members that highlights any irregular betting patterns or possible insider betting from within each sport.


Early Warning System

ESSA's Early Warning System is fully operational and allows the members to quickly and efficiently determine if any fraudulent activity or manipulation is taking place on any given sporting event covered by the membership of ESSA.

From initial alert to a decision by the ESSA head bookmaker takes no longer than 60 minutes, making the system vital to the promotion of keeping sport clean and free from possible scandal and additionally offering the average punter the ability of having a fair wager.


Communication with Sports Regulators

The Early Warning System allows ESSA to work hand in hand with the Sports Regulators and their disciplinary and legal department, ensuring that when an alert is given the regulator is informed immediately which may prevent the possibility of any game manipulation on a given event. By offering this service to the sports regulators free of charge ESSA and consequently the online betting industry is exonerated if the regulator refuses to accept the service, as if an inquiry follows within a sports federation following a suspected game manipulation and it is then found that the regulator had the opportunity to use the services of ESSA but declined. The online betting industry is then seen to have done what they thought necessary to prevent the manipulation and is perceived as the innocent party and not as previously seen as the "carpet bagger".


ESSA Code of Conduct

ESSA and its members are committed to legal and responsible sports betting where customers are given a fair and reliable product by keeping sport clean and free from insider betting or bet rigging and manipulation.

ESSA regards the Code of Conduct as an important statement by its members of their commitment to socially responsible sports betting. The Code should be seen in conjunction with each member's national licensing requirements.


General

ESSA members who conduct gambling sports betting adhere to the following features:

•    Registration and ongoing player verification processes.
•    The ability for players to be excluded.
•    The ability for players to establish bet and deposit limits.
•    The ability to provide players with a statement of their account activity.
•    Security measures to combat fraud.


Responsible gaming

ESSA is committed to socially responsible sports betting and the reduction of problem betting. Therefore, ESSA members agree to adopt self-regulatory controls, and agree to adhere to responsible gambling sports betting regulations / guidelines established in their respective licensing jurisdiction.


Under age betting

ESSA members shall implement reasonable security measures to prevent access to gambling sports betting products (including player registration) by users who have not reached the legal age for betting in their jurisdiction, and shall post an age restriction notice on the home page.


Consumer privacy and data protection

Player's accounts shall be managed in a secure, safe and efficient environment. The privacy and confidentiality of all player information submitted at any point in time shall be protected from unauthorized disclosure.

All ESSA members include a clause in their Terms & Conditions allowing distribution of data if any fraudulent activity has taken place.

All ESSA members will openly and freely distribute information about all/any irregular betting patterns that have occurred within their organization to all ESSA members using the Early Warning System.

All ESSA members agree to distribute data concerning fraudulent or insider betting between ESSA and the sports regulators.

Version 3.6

Sports-betting Fair Play last update 14.12.2015