Integrity & the fight against match-fixing
European Sport Summit 2013
Major events: Major opportunities
Thursday 20 june 2013
Harri Syväsalmi
Scale
According to Interpol match-fixing is reported
• over 70 countries
• accross 6 continents
in the last 12 months alone.
Match-fixing often involves serious organised crime
networks operating at national and international level.
”As recent cases show, irregular and illegal betting is a global
phenomenon and no sport, elite or otherwise, is immune from
this scourge. It is an extremely serious issue that threatens the
very integrity of sport. This is why it is at the top of our agenda
and we will convene our working group on 14 May to continue
our joint efforts.”
Jacques Rogge
IOC Founding working group
1) Education
2) Monitoring, intelligence, analysis
3) Legislation, regulations
MINEPS V
Declaration of Berlin, 30 May 2013
UNESCO Member States are called upon to (inter alia):
• Thoroughly examine all suspicious cases by using appropiate
technology….
• Ensure that investigations focus not only on potential manipulators
behind the scenes, but also on athletes and their entourage, sport
agents, coaches, referees, representatives of associations/clubs and
sport federations, including their officials, managers and emplyees;
Ministers are committed to (inter alia):
• Examine the feasibility of establishing national level, independent,
integrity organisations and encouraging international coordinated
efforts to monitor and address issues relating to corruption.
Fight against Match-fixing in the EU
•
Booming issue on the EU agenda; 2011 Communication on Sport
•
Seriousness of the phenomenon and need to ensure cooperation recognized e.g. in
– European Union Work Plan for Sport for 2011-2014 (2011)
– Council conclusion on combating match-fixing (2011)
– Presidency conclusions on establishing a strategy to combat the manipulation of
– sport results (2012)
– Commission communication on online gambling (2012)
•
2012 Preparatory Action 'European Partnership on Sports', priority line for projects
focusing on the prevention of match-fixing
•
Also mentioned as one of the objectives of the Sport Chapter of the proposed
Erasmus for All / Erasmus + Programme allows anti match-fixing actions to be
supported after 2014.
•
The Commission mandated by the Member States to participate on behalf of the EU
to the Council of Europe Drafting Group meetings on a Draft International Convention
against Manipulation of Sports Competitions
Council of Europe instrument ?
An issue of sports ethics, but also rule
of law and fight against corruption
Use CoE assets
Existing bodies (EPAS, GRECO, CDPC, T-PD,
T-DO, T-RV, Moneyval, Cybercrime…)
Experience in standard-setting
Possibly open to non European states
Pioneer role (as on corruption, doping,
cybercrime, …)
Stakeholders
Identification of action to be taken by :
Governments
Sports
Betting regulators
Corruption
Criminal law
…
Betting operators
Private industry
Lotteries
Sport organisations
The drafting group : delegations
with multiple expertise
Sport
Law enforcement
Betting regulators
Scope of a possible Convention
Prevention and co-operation
Exchange of information
Implementation of criminal law
Sanctions
International cooperation
Follow-up
Scope of a possible Convention
not on corruption of governance in
sport
not on opening of the betting market
not on funding of sport
no request for specific offence in
domestic criminal law
Our vision (in 3-5 years)
World-wide mobilisation
Cooperation (Sport/BO/PA)
Education, prevention
Effective detection
(betting monitoring systems +
exchange of intelligence)
Clear legal provisions
Effective law-enforcement (incl.
cooperation with sports movement)
Monitoring
• 24/7 - 365
• Individuals; players, coaches
• Worldwide
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Hd49GPE78