BetHog CEO rejects ‘crypto = criminal’ claim

Tom Eccles, CEO of BetHog, rejected Thursday a characterization that ‘crypto = criminal’ after sports-data firm Sportradar named the company in a report about suspicious crypto-linked activity in the online betting supply chain.

Sportradar’s report, published earlier this week, identified operators and service providers it recommended for closer scrutiny. The firm cited patterns in market behavior and transaction flows that it says can indicate potential misuse of crypto channels to evade controls or fund illicit betting.

In a response to the report, Eccles wrote that BetHog was inaccurately portrayed and outlined the company’s compliance measures. He pointed to know-your-customer checks, transaction monitoring and anti-money-laundering procedures that BetHog maintains in the jurisdictions where it operates.

“Equating crypto with criminality is misleading and harms firms with proper controls,” Eccles wrote. He added that BetHog works with banking and payments partners to monitor funds moving through its network and that the company will review the evidence cited by Sportradar.

Sportradar stated its integrity analyses are intended to help operators, regulators and betting partners assess risk and to flag accounts or operators when indicators suggest possible misuse of crypto channels.

Reports from a widely used supplier can prompt payment processors, affiliate networks and regulators to open formal reviews. Companies named in such analyses may face heightened scrutiny, short-term operational effects and reputational impacts as partners reassess relationships.

BetHog plans to engage directly with Sportradar to review the report’s evidence and to provide documentation and system audits if requested. The companies’ exchange of information could lead partners to request additional records from BetHog as they update their risk assessments.