Entain CEE’s Chief Sportsbook Officer Ivan Gojic on why market data alone no longer catches spot-fixing, the limits of AI, and cross-operator data sharing
Operators monitor far more than markets when they hunt for match manipulation. Ivan Gojic, Chief Sportsbook Officer at Entain CEE, says the clearest sign of a fixed corner or yellow card is rarely the bet itself, but the customer behind it: who is placing it, when, how often, and whether linked accounts keep repeating the same pattern.
Ahead of his appearance at SBC Summit 2026 in Lisbon, Insider Sport spoke to Gojic about the visibility of micro-event manipulation, whether spot-fixing is confined to the lower leagues, how the threat in CEE has evolved, and where AI and cross-operator data sharing genuinely strengthen detection.
For more details on your chance to attend SBC Summit 2026, and hear from Ivan Gojic in person, follow the link HERE for more details.
Read the full interview below.
At Entain, how visible is micro-event manipulation from the trading floor, and are corners and cards actually flagging as suspicious, or is this still invisible to operators?
It’s much more visible than people think. Operators don’t just monitor markets; they monitor customer behavior. A yellow card or a corner rarely becomes suspicious on its own. What raises flags is who is betting it, when they’re betting it, how often they exhibit similar behavior, whether accounts are connected, and whether the same pattern repeats. The market is only one part of the equation.
Is spot-fixing really just a lower-league problem, or is top-flight sport less insulated than people assume?
Lower leagues remain more exposed because their financial incentives differ. But from an operator’s perspective, we don’t assume any competition is immune. Our job is to analyze betting behavior consistently, regardless of whether it’s the Champions League or a regional division. It’s also worth remembering that not every manipulation attempt is driven by direct financial gain from betting. Sporting incentives matter too, as teams or athletes may seek a more favorable draw or an easier path through a tournament. Ultimately, that can translate into greater financial rewards, but the motivation is different and should not be overlooked.
How has the fixing threat in CEE changed in recent years, given the region’s history as a target for syndicates?
I don’t think CEE stands out today as much as it may have years ago. Betting has become increasingly global, and so have betting syndicates. The challenge is no longer regional, but it’s international. Modern risk teams are tracking customer behavior across competitions, sports, and jurisdictions, making sophisticated tooling and data much more important than geography itself.
What does detection look like when the fix is a single yellow card rather than unusual money on a match outcome?
The yellow card itself rarely tells you anything. Detection starts with the customer. Is this normal behavior for that account? Is the timing unusual? Are multiple accounts behaving identically? Has the same network appeared before? A strong risk team connects those signals. Looking at the market alone is no longer enough.
There’s plenty of hype around AI pattern engines and social media intelligence. What works and what doesn’t?
AI helps with speed and scale. It’s excellent at identifying behavioral patterns across millions of bets and accounts. That’s where it adds real value. What it doesn’t do is replace experienced analysts. Social media can occasionally provide useful context, but it generates far more noise than actionable intelligence. The best results still come from combining good tooling with experienced people, which only means that the future is here, so there’s no doubt we will all benefit from it quite soon.
Do bookmakers actually share data through cross-operator alert systems, or does commercial rivalry get in the way?
Both happen. Operators do cooperate through integrity initiatives, but there is always room for better collaboration. Ultimately, suspicious customer behavior doesn’t stop at one bookmaker. The more intelligence the industry can share responsibly, the stronger everyone’s detection capabilities become.
Should operators simply stop offering markets on easily manipulated micro-events, or does that just push the betting underground?
I don’t think removing markets is the answer. The better solution is to understand where your risk lies and manage it properly. If you have the right tooling, experienced risk analysts, and appropriate limits, many of these markets can be offered safely. If you don’t, then removing certain markets is the responsible decision. It should be a risk decision, not a marketing one.
Held in Lisbon from 29 September to 1 October 2026, SBC Summit is one of the world’s largest gatherings of betting and gaming professionals. The event brings together 40,000 attendees from across the industry for three days of learning, networking, and discussion, alongside a major exhibition featuring leading brands from around the globe.
For more information and tickets, visit sbcevents.com/sbc-summit.
