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

Friday, 15 March 2024