Sports betting and corruption: How to preserve the - SportAccord

Sports betting and corruption: How to preserve the integrity of sport
The proliferation of private operators in the market also arouses concern as to the continuity of the
benefit derived by amateur sport from the finance traditionally granted to it by state lotteries, which
represents substantial income (over 2 billion per year from lotteries that are members of the European
Lotteries Association for example). The deregulation of the betting market must include consideration
of the lotteries current assistance in financing sport.
3. Public authorities
The public authorities are responsible for exercising control over risks to public order connected with
gambling activity. This involves combating the illegal market on the one hand, and protecting
consumers and the general public on the other.
Some sectors of activity receive specific attention from the public authorities when it is a question of
protecting different parts of society and watching over the preservation of public order. As far as
betting is concerned - and gambling more generally - the approaches vary according to country and
depend on existing socio-cultural structures. In all cases, the activity is recognised as an issue affecting
society because it can lead to addictive excesses, hardship and vulnerability as a result of gambling
debts.
Internationally, there a number of gambling regulation models: prohibition, exclusive or multiple
concessions (monopolies or licences respectively), and authorisation. Legislations create dedicated,
legal and institutional tools. The regulatory authorities manage the activity and endeavour to combat
the illegal market and violations of the law.
The rapid expansion of the Internet has necessitated the inclusion in regulatory approaches of this
gaming dissemination medium. As in other sectors of activity, the globalisation that characterises the
virtual world complicates the management of the activity. The increased appeal of the betting market
for organised crime has prompted reflection on additional legal and structural measures to be taken in
order to combat fraud effectively.
More specifically, in terms of the manipulation of sporting results, it is not the remit of the public
authorities to regulate sport and interfere in the organisation and running of sports competitions.
Furthermore, the sports movement is committed to preserving its autonomy. But on the basis of their
sovereign powers, the public authorities are inclined to act in this domain insofar as it affects issues of
public order such as combating corruption, crime and the informal economy. In the face of such risks,
which are increasingly working their way into sport, there is a relative admission of powerlessness by
sporting organisations. The problem therefore reaches beyond the field of sport itself, extending to the
wider issues of combating organised crime, particularly because of the risk of money-laundering.
Sport is particularly attractive in this respect precisely because of the weak control exercised over it by
the public authorities. Corruption in sport therefore constitutes a lucrative, low-risk activity in
comparison to other criminal activities that are the focus of attention of the public authorities, and are
punishable by very heavy penalties. Besides having a deterrent effect, specific criminal legislation in
respect of fraudulent practices will help the sports movement to protect itself.
Also, given the transnational nature of both organised crime and the sports betting market, it is
important to have bridges of cooperation between countries at several levels (combating the illegal
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