Application of an Advanced Risk Analysis Evaluation Tool of Sports Integrity in an International Sports Competition

The estimated annual cost of corruption in the global sports industry is anywhere from $1.7 to $2.6 trillion (Carrillo, 2023; United Nations, 2023). Among the most common types of corruption is the involvement of sports officials in bribery, cheating, embezzlement, match manipulation, and final-result fixing. The authors describe an advanced risk assessment voice analytics tool and its use in identifying and countering the threat of corruption amid sport officials. The tool was implemented during an actual, multi-phase inquiry of amateur boxing officials at an international tournament. Of the 93 completed (pre- and post-competition) automated interviews, 77.4% resulted in risk-positive outcomes for knowledge of and/or involvement in corruption. Ground truth confirmed 80% of the risk-positive flags. In addition, statistical analyses verified the decision support tool’s unbiased model across a group of men and women from 49 different countries. Further, an association of risk-positive flags with countries’ human developmental indices—previously shown to be inversely related to corruption—provides convergent validity for the automated tool. This study’s findings contribute to the international sports integrity investigations and management literature.