Machine learning can level the playing field against match fixing – helping regulators spot cheating

On the eve of the Rugby World Cup kicking off, there have already been whispers of teams spying on each other. Inevitable gamesmanship, perhaps, but there's no doubt cheating in sport is a problem authorities struggle to combat. Our new machine learning model could be a game changer when it comes to detecting questionable behaviour and unusual outcomes – especially the practice of match fixing. Currently, the act of altering match outcomes for personal or team gain is largely picked up through abnormalities in sports betting markets. When bookmakers notice unusual odds or changes in the betting line, they alert regulators.