Key Takeaways
- Premier Padel and FIP have appointed Sportradar as their official betting integrity partner, with its Universal Fraud Detection System set to monitor for unusual betting activity.
- A regulated betting data ecosystem will be introduced from 2027, with iGame Media selected as the exclusive partner for betting technology and distribution.
- Luigi Carraro underlined the point: “Integrity is fundamental to the future of padel and to everything we are building together as an international sporting community.”
Professional padel launches wide-ranging integrity framework
Sports technology company Sportradar will serve as the official betting integrity partner of Premier Padel and the International Padel Federation (FIP). As padel continues its rapid global growth, the partnership aims to strengthen protections throughout the professional game and its competitions.
Premier Padel has also appointed iGame Media as its exclusive official betting technology and distribution partner alongside the Sportradar deal. From the 2027 season, the partnership will create a regulated betting structure covering every match on the professional men’s and women’s Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour. Official betting products, using data collected by in-venue umpires and low-latency live-streaming feeds, will be supplied to licensed sportsbooks through the system.
Education programs and the Universal Fraud Detection System
Global betting markets will be monitored through Sportradar’s Universal Fraud Detection System (UFDS), which combines an AI-powered platform with analysis by specialists. The system is designed to spot unusual patterns that could indicate match-fixing and notify governing partners whenever suspicious activity is identified.
Educational and training programs covering prevention and risk reduction will complement Sportradar’s active monitoring work for FIP and Premier Padel. The measures expand FIP’s existing integrity program, including its status as a World Anti-Doping Code signatory, its cooperation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to prevent competition manipulation, and its partnership with the International Testing Agency (ITA) for independently managed anti-doping operations.
International Padel Federation President Luigi Carraro said protecting the sport’s reputation is especially important as its commercial presence grows.
“Integrity is fundamental to the future of padel and to everything we are building together as an international sporting community. FIP is investing significantly in this area – from adopting the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions, to our collaboration with the IOC, education programmes for players, coaches, officials and National Federations, and the development of stronger reporting and safeguarding mechanisms.”
Carraro also said: “As our professional competitions grow, it is important that we have visibility and oversight of the way official sporting data is used. This partnership with Sportradar therefore sits within a much broader programme of work to ensure padel continues to develop responsibly, transparently and with the highest possible standards of sporting integrity.”
Commercial income to support development throughout the sport
Players, coaches and officials will be able to report integrity-related concerns through dedicated channels that FIP is creating on its digital platforms. To organize integrity workshops and educational webinars, the international governing body collaborates with National Federations, player associations and the Professional Padel Players Coaches Association (PPPCA).
Andreas Krannich, Executive Vice President, Integrity Services at Sportradar, pointed to the shared determination to protect fair competition: “We are proud to partner with Premier Padel and FIP, and support the protection of their competitions through our market-leading UFDS AI and Integrity Education. By combining advanced technology, extensive betting-market visibility and specialist integrity expertise, we will help identify potential risks at the earliest opportunity and strengthen the integrity framework around the sport worldwide.”
Income generated by the commercial deals will be reinvested directly at every level of the sport.
Premier Padel CEO David Sugden said: “Padel’s incredible growth is creating significant new opportunities for the sport, and with that comes a responsibility to make sure that growth benefits its long-term future. Partnerships like this generate revenues that we can reinvest in the professional game, our players, our events and the fan experience, helping us continue to develop the sport and its ecosystem around the world.”
