Interpol's Integrity In Sport weekly media recap - 10-16 March 2014

This week's Integrity In Sport recap includes some interesting articles about match-fixing and integrity in sport. The story from Korea, while not about football, includes some useful information about the tactics fixers use to corrupt players. It is tragic that match-fixing may have contributed to this player's decision to attempt to end his own life, and we wish him a full and speedy recovery.

GOOD PRACTICE

United Kingdom

Minister for Sport, Tourism & Equalities, Helen Grant has welcomed a move by the Football Association to consider a complete ban on players and club employees betting on matches. FA chairman Greg Dyke has revealed the governing body is reviewing its policy on gambling - an outright ban already exists in Scottish football. Helen Grant, the sports minister who is also in charge of gambling, said the government would support any change to promote integrity in sport. She said: "While this is a decision for the Football Association I am pleased that Greg Dyke is considering such a move. "We have had good constructive meetings with the big sports governing bodies on the issue of betting integrity and match-fixing earlier this year. We would support any move that further helps uphold the integrity of sport." It comes just a day after the Newcastle midfielder Dan Gosling admitted an FA misconduct charge for breaching betting rules, which forbid players to bet on any competition that their club is involved in (...) Dyke told BBC Late Kick Off North West: "No final decision has been made, but it [a complete ban] is one of the things that's being discussed. The FA is looking again at the whole of betting and who should be allowed to bet on football in the football industry. In the next few weeks, we'll come out with a policy." Dyke added: "I think recent events, though, have suggested to us that we need to take it very seriously and that's what we're doing. We've got to take it more seriously and do a bigger education programme among players and the rest of the staff in football."

Source: "Grant welcomes FA move", 11 March 2014, Sport.co.uk https://www.sport.co.uk/football/grant-welcomes-fa-move/4638930/

Legislation

Australia

Match-fixing cheats will face up to 10 years in jail under new laws to stop organised crime syndicates targeting sports stars, racing and semi-professional fixtures. Punters involved in a betting fix who use inside information or those involved in corrupting a betting outcome will face jail time under five new offences to be introduced by the State Government. Match-fixers will also risk losing all of their winnings under confiscation powers of proceeds of crime legislation. “Match-fixing isn’t a game,” Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said. “Cheats who try to play with a sporting result will soon face stiff penalties.” Brisbane Premier League team Albany Creek Excelsior was embroiled in a match-fixing scandal last year, with allegations two former players from England were linked to a multimillion-dollar match-fixing syndicate while both playing in Victorian Premier League club Southern Stars. In a separate case that was a breach of the national football code of conduct but dismissed as match-mixing, six Brisbane players were suspended and fined after a Football Federation Australia investigation for betting on a match between Olympic FC and Rochedale Rovers last year.

Source: Thomas Chamberlin, "Queensland Government’s new sporting bet laws crack down on match-fixing cheats", 16 March 2014, The Courier-Mail https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-governments-new-sporting-bet-laws-crack-down-on-matchfixing-cheats/story-fnihsrf2-1226855692928