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White Paper Provides Key Recommendations to Address Competition Manipulation

White Paper Provides Key Recommendations to Address Competition Manipulation

A new white paper from the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) and McLaren Global Sport Solutions (MGSS) builds on expert perspectives and experiences shared during two international symposiums hosted in Toronto, Canada. The white paper, titled Competition Manipulation and Gambling: Threats to Canadian Sport, provides a summary of the 2023 Symposium on Competition Manipulation and Gambling in Sport, outlines five key recommendations to mitigate the risks of competition manipulation, and describes recent changes in the Canadian sport gambling landscape.

“Competition manipulation – or match fixing – is rising at an alarming rate globally, and Canada is not immune to this threat. Both regulated and illegal betting markets are being exploited by bad actors and criminal organizations, who often prey on vulnerable athletes in the process. Several Canadian sports have been shown to be at heightened risk and can be influenced from abroad, including offshore betting. The Toronto symposium brought together global experts and key Canadian stakeholders on this subject; the white paper is an outcome of this important consultation and provides several strategies and recommendations to protect the integrity of Canadian sport,” said Richard McLaren, CEO of MGSS.

Co-hosted by the CCES and MGSS in May 2023, the Symposium on Competition Manipulation and Gambling in Sport brought together more than 150 delegates from sectors including athletes, national, multi, and international sport, national and provincial governments, sport gambling operators and regulators, professional sport leagues, integrity units, and law enforcement agencies. With the introduction of single-event sport betting to the Canadian market in 2021, the increased likelihood of competition manipulation and other threats to sport integrity requires a coordinated response from all stakeholders.

“Competition manipulation is a real and present threat to sport integrity and this white paper provides a clear look at the comprehensive plans that other domestic and international organizations have successfully implemented to protect athletes and sporting events. It also reinforces the need for an independently administered harmonized Canadian competition manipulation policy that’s developed with athletes and adopted by all sports in Canada. The symposium and white paper both put a heavy emphasis on the need for a comprehensive education program to support a policy and protect sport, which the CCES has been providing to the sport community,” said Jeremy Luke, CCES president and CEO. “We appreciate everyone who shared their knowledge and lived experience during the symposium and support these initiatives and thank MGSS for their expertise and collaboration.” 

Read about the 2023 Symposium and the five key recommendations, and download the white paper

Circular no. 1877 - FIFA Integrity Summit 2024

Circular no. 1877 - FIFA Integrity Summit 2024

TO THE MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS OF FIFA

Circular no. 1877

Zurich, 8 February 2024

FIFA Integrity Summit 2024

Dear Sir or Madam,

As per the FIFA Statutes, one of FIFA’s key objectives is to promote integrity and prevent practices, such as match manipulation, that might jeopardise the integrity of matches, competitions, players, officials and member associations, or give rise to abuse of association football.

FIFA remains steadfast in the fight against match manipulation through the implementation of integrity initiatives, including the establishment of dedicated integrity educational programmes. In this regard, and in line with our commitment to promoting and protecting the integrity of football worldwide, we are delighted to announce that the first FIFA Integrity Summit will be held in Singapore on 4 and 5 April 2024.

The FIFA Integrity Summit aims to bring together the integrity officers of all 211 FIFA member associations and of the six confederations, with the primary goal of collaboratively tackling the pressing issue of match manipulation and formulating effective measures to combat it. This summit will serve as a crucial platform for engaging in profound discussions on the best practices and strategic approaches to combating match manipulation. For more information on the FIFA Integrity Summit, please consult the brochure attached to this circular. 

FIFA hereby invites all member associations and confederations to nominate one integrity officer (or one official responsible for integrity matters within their association) to participate in the upcoming FIFA Integrity Summit. In order to ensure that the entire community of integrity officers can participate in this event in person, FIFA will cover the travel and accommodation expenses of this person.

Integrity officers are invited to complete the registration process by filling out the registration form available under the following link.

Registration will be open until 25 February 2024.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Yazid Zakaria, Integrity Manager, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

We look forward to your feedback and to working closely with you to protect the integrity of football. 

Yours faithfully, 

FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE

DE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

FIFA extends sanctions imposed by Brazilian FA due to match manipulation

FIFA extends sanctions imposed by Brazilian FA due to match manipulation

FIFA has confirmed the worldwide extension of sanctions imposed on 11 players by the Brazilian Football Association (CBF) relating to incidents of match manipulation that took place in Brazilian football.

Following investigations by the Brazilian authorities and the disciplinary proceedings opened by the CBF, the following players have been banned from taking part in any kind of football-related activity:

  • Ygor de Oliveira Ferreira (lifetime ban)

  • Paulo Sérgio Marques Corrêa (600 days as of 26 May 2023)

  • Gabriel Ferreira Neris (lifetime ban)

  • Jonathan Doin (720 days as of 16 May 2023)

  • Fernando José da Cunha Neto (360 days as of 16 May 2023)

  • Eduardo Gabriel dos Santos Bauermann (360 days as of 16 May 2023)

  • Matheus Phillipe Coutinho (lifetime ban)

  • Mateus da Silva Duarte (600 days as of 26 May 2023)

  • André Luiz Guimarães Siqueira Junior (600 days as of 26 May 2023)

  • Onitlasi Junior Moraes (720 days as of 16 May 2023)

  • Kevin Joel Lomónaco (360 days as of 16 May 2023)

As a result of the sound and exemplary cooperation with the CBF and in line with article 70 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend all of the above-mentioned sanctions to have worldwide effect.

FIFA will continue its ongoing efforts to combat match manipulation through a variety of initiatives, which include the monitoring of international betting markets, the confidential FIFA Reporting Portal, the FIFA Integrity app, as well as several awareness and educational activities across the world.

FIFA INTEGRITY BRIEFINGS COMPLETED AHEAD OF TOKYO 2020

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With the Tokyo 2020 Olympics fast approaching, FIFA has completed a series of integrity briefings with the participating teams and referees in order to raise awareness of potential threats to the game and outline FIFA’s preventative measures.

The sessions included practical examples on critical situations that team members and referees may face before, during or after the competition, as well as details on the appropriate mechanisms to report any incident relating to match manipulation.

Italian tennis official suspended

Italian tennis official suspended

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) can today confirm that Italian tennis official Antonio Casa has been suspended from the sport for a period of seven years and six months following breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).

Casa, a national-level official, admitted to seven breaches of the TACP, including attempting to commit a Corruption Offense, manipulation of match scoring for betting purposes, and facilitation of betting.

Casa, who has officiated at ITF $15K and $25K events and served as a line judge at ATP Challenger level, co-operated fully with the ITIA investigation and waived their right to a hearing before an independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer. Casa has also been fined $25,001, of which $17,001 is suspended. The official’s agreed sanction began on 28 March 2024 and will end at midnight on 27 September 2031.

During the suspension, Casa is prohibited from officiating at or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA (ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Fédération Française de Tennis, Wimbledon and USTA).

The ITIA is an independent body established by its tennis members to promote, encourage, enhance, and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide.

Global football integrity experts to gather at first FIFA Integrity Summit in Singapore

Global football integrity experts to gather at first FIFA Integrity Summit in Singapore

  • Two-day event to take place in Singapore on 4-5 April

  • Participants to discuss the latest integrity developments

  • Focus on collaborative approach to tackle match manipulation

FIFA has invited the integrity officers of all 211 FIFA member associations and the six confederations to the first FIFA Integrity Summit, which will be held in Singapore on 4 and 5 April 2024 in collaboration with the Asian Football Confederation and the Football Association of Singapore.

The summit aims to update integrity officers on global integrity trends, share best practices, present the new FIFA Integrity Handbook and Education Roadmap, and explore relevant decisions from FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding match manipulation.

FIFA remains steadfast in the fight against match manipulation through the implementation of dedicated integrity programmes in close cooperation with its member associations. Keynote speakers from FIFA, CAS and other professionals involved in combating match manipulation will contribute to fostering knowledge exchange.

For the agenda, click here.

Three tennis players sanctioned for match-fixing

Three tennis players sanctioned for match-fixing

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) can today confirm that three tennis players, Timur Khabibulin, Sanjar Fayziev and Igor Smilansky, have been sanctioned and fined following breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Program (TACP).

The decision was made by independent Anti-Corruption Hearing Officer (AHO) Janie Soublière, who had previously upheld the ITIA charges against the three players for related match-fixing activity whilst sanctions were considered. The confirmed sanctions are:

  • Timur Khabibulin from Kazakhstan has been banned from the sport for life and fined $60,000
  • Sanjar Fayziev from Uzbekistan has been banned for three years and six months (with six months suspended) and fined $15,000
  • Igor Smilansky from Israel has been banned for two years with a $4,000 fine (with $1,000 suspended)

Khabibulin, who had a highest ATP doubles ranking of 154, was found liable for 21 individual charges relating to match fixing between 2014 and 2019. Fayziev, who also had a highest ATP doubles ranking of 154, was found liable for five charges relating to two matches in 2018. Smilansky, who had a highest ATP singles ranking of 451, was found liable for three charges relating to one match in 2018.

The sanctions will begin from the date of the players’ provisional suspensions on 25 July 2023 which means Fayziev will be suspended until 24 July 2026 and Smilansky will be suspended until 24 July 2025 (subject to their fines being paid or repayment schemes agreed).

During such period for Fayziev and Smilansky, and permanently for Khabibulin, they are prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA: ATP, ITF, WTA, Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open, or any national association.

The ITIA is an independent body established by its tennis members to promote, encourage, enhance and safeguard the integrity of professional tennis worldwide.

COMPETITION MANIPULATION IS A THREAT TO SPORT INTEGRITY: AIU IDENTIFIES MULTIPLE ILLEGITIMATE QUALIFYING PERFORMANCES FOR THE TOKYO 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES

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21 JULY 2021, MONACO: In the lead up to the Tokyo Olympic Games, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has received 17 referrals for investigation of suspicious qualifying performances. The referrals were from 16 countries and included 31 athletes and five relay teams. As a result of the AIU’s investigations, eight qualifying performances for the Olympic Games were not recognised by World Athletics and the relevant athletes denied a place at the Games. A number of cases have been identified by the AIU for further investigation to determine if fraudulent conduct was involved.

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