Need for enhanced cooperation to fight match-fixing Editorial Emma McClarkin, MEP and member
Transcription
Need for enhanced cooperation to fight match-fixing Editorial Emma McClarkin, MEP and member
Issue 15: Fight against match–fixing October 2014 EGBA news CONTENTS 01 Editorial by Maarten Haijer 01-02Need for enhanced cooperation to fight match-fixing by MEP Emma McClarkin 03Betting industry confirms status as major sports contributor by Jason Foley-Train 04How to make a difference in educating athletes on match-fixing by Jeff Reymond Editorial The EGBA is honoured that MEP Emma McClarkin who over the years has been closely involved with the sports issue is contributing to our issue of EGBA news on the fight against match-fixing. In the aftermath of an exceptionally rich year in world-class sport events, we dedicate this issue to, the fight against match-fixing. At the time of writing Commissioner-designate for education and culture Nacracsics said that he aims to continue to address the problem of match-fixing, just as his predecessor did. MEP McClarkin, member of the Culture and Education Committee, explains that the fight against match-fixing will only be won if the EU betting industry, sports bodies and law enforcement agencies start to cooperate at a global level, as the threat transcends borders. Sport organisations, and athletes in particular, also play a central role in eradicating match-fixing. Jeff Reymond, Secretary General of EU Athletes, highlights how education, through face – to –face meetings with athletes, can be particularly beneficial in helping the latter to keep their sport clean. As the sports industry and the related financial implications have grown bigger over time, so did the challenges to keep sports clean. Jason Foley Train shows in his recent report the firm dedication of the betting industry to support sports commercially but also raises the most burning questions related to sports integrity. Maarten Haijer, Secretary General Issue 15: Fight against match-fixing Fight against match-fixing Need for enhanced cooperation to fight match-fixing Emma McClarkin, MEP and member of the Culture and Education Committee, talks of her priorities to fight against match-fixing. As a former member of the Rugby Football Union, sports has a very special place in my heart! The many global sports events of 2014 have however reminded us that the issue of match-fixing remains a prime concern for policy makers, and one that I hope my committee will focus its attention on in this legislature. Match-fixing has many facets ranging from doping, money laundering to betting related match-fixing. The latter one has grabbed the headlines in recent months and the global nature of the internet means that match-fixing has become a global phenomenon affecting not only several sports but also upper and lower leagues. What is the problem? Evidence from law enforcement bodies, such as INTERPOL and Europol, along with independent research indicate that the principal danger comes from organised crime based outside of Europe. These criminals “Evidence from law enforcement bodies, such as INTERPOL and Europol, along with independent research indicate that the principal danger comes from organised crime based outside of Europe. These criminals often use unregulated websites and operate with criminal networks inside of Europe to collude with corrupt sports people to fix games.” MEP Emma McClarkin often use unregulated websites and operate with criminal networks inside of Europe to collude with corrupt sports people to fix games. Many of us were shocked by the finding of www.egba.eu 1 “ Sports and the European sports betting industry have the most to lose from match-fixing “ having signed information sharing agreements with over 20 major sports bodies, such as FIFA and the IOC, as well as a number of national gambling regulators. This approach deters corruptors from So what can we do to using EU regulated help? websites. “The Council of First and foremost I believe Europe convention This approach that sports and the European against the is however not sports betting industry, manipulation of enough. Cooperation who have the most to lose sports competitions, from match-fixing, have a which was just signed between the EU betting industry, shared responsibility to work last month, will sports bodies and together to protect sports hopefully provide law enforcement integrity and to keep sports a step in the right agencies must be clean. This is something all direction.” extended to other stakeholders in sport need parts of the world to take responsibility for. The as match fixers often EU sports betting industry is operate across borders and continents playing an important part to that effect making investigations more of an operational challenge. Europol last year when it uncovered a criminal network involved in trying to fix an alleged 380 football matches across Europe. information sharing agreements at EU level between police forces, betting operators and law enforcement agencies. Second, educating players is crucial. After all, players are the first line of defence against corruption, and they therefore need to be educated that betting on their own sport could ruin their short careers. The betting industry was a leader in launching an educational campaign in 2010 with EU Athletes, Europe’s leading player syndicate, to explain to players how to behave properly in relation to sports and betting. The same campaign, which the European Commission co-funded, has the unique feature of using ex-players to go into the dressing rooms and have face-to-face discussions with their peers about sports betting integrity issues. The Council of Europe convention Third, sports can only be protected against the manipulation of sports from match-fixing if the sports betting competitions, which was just signed market is regulated and transparent. last month, will hopefully provide The regulated market needs to be a step in the right direction. It will attractive and offer what customers ensure that signatories of this are looking convention have rules in place for. Unjustified to ensure that match-fixing is restriction to the recognised as an offence, that betting offer criminals can be prosecuted has the negative “The European and facilitate judicial and police Parliament voted earlier effect of driving cooperation. consumers to this year to allocate €2M to launch a number the unregulated This is a key priority for the sector and of pilot projects to European Parliament after we increasing improve public -private voted earlier this year to allocate sector partnership the threat to €2M to launch a number of sports’ integrity. (in this area)” pilot projects to improve public Something we -private sector partnership. I am must protect for hopeful that this money will Sport, industry serve, in particular, to improving and fans alike. Issue 15: Fight against match-fixing www.egba.eu 2 “ Betting industry confirms status as major sports contributor Jason Foley Train, betting advisor to several associations, offers an insight into his newly released report “sports betting: commercial and integrity issues.” This report is an update of his Sports betting report of 2010. In 2012, the global sports sector was 2007”.3 These gambling sponsorships estimated to be worth around $130 are likely to increase in the years billion and is forecasted to reach to come as a number of countries over $146 billion in 2014 (+12.3%). such as Germany, where sports Importantly, media rights and associations, such as the German sponsorship revenues are playing a football association, are urging their dominant role in this with even greater government to issue sports betting growth rates between 2010 and 2014, licenses. each accounting for around +30%.1 Similarly, the gross gambling revenue The on-going reforms across Europe (GGR) of the regulated global betting demonstrate there is also increasing market was $58 billion in 2012 and evidence that private regulated betting is forecast to reach $70 companies and state billion in 2016 (+20%).2 lotteries can both thrive These figures, if nothing “the figures in the same market. less than impressive, demonstrate that Europe’s regulated betting markets have allowed reveals the booming the relation between popularity of sports, and sports and the betting to gradually remove the once dominant shows the firm dedication industry is becoming monopolistic approach of the betting industry to more intertwined favouring the lottery support sports. Indeed, and foremost that sector. General assertions the growth in sponsorship the industry brings a that the opening of revenues increased positive contribution more than the projected to society as a whole” gambling markets to competition involving growth of the GGR of the regulated private regulated operators. operators will lead to a reduction in lottery revenues and thereby This is because betting and sport mutually benefit from this growing money allocated to good causes, commercial association, with including sport, is not corroborated sponsorship and advertising becoming by the associated evidence. Indeed, undeniably a significant source of The global lottery sector has indeed funding for sport. This has been continued to show steady growth helped in recent years by the gradual in sluggish economic circumstances opening of betting markets across with annual sales improving by 4.9% Europe, which has seen Member States in 2013, easily outstripping global allowing sports betting operators to economic rates.4 strike growing commercial deals with sport. In this context, the European The figures demonstrate that the Sponsorship Association (ESA) reported relation between sports and the that gambling companies were betting industry is becoming more “ranked joint 7th of all business sectors intertwined and foremost that the for worldwide reported deals in 2011, industry brings a positive contribution with 73 gambling sponsorship deals to society as a whole. reported in 2011 compared to 21 in Issue 15: Fight against match-fixing there is also increasing evidence that private regulated betting companies and state lotteries can both thrive in the same market “ 1 Outlook for the global sports market to 2015 2 Gross gambling yield (GGY) equates to stakes minus prizes and is also commonly referred to a gross gambling revenue (GGR) 3 Ibid. 4 2014 World Lotteries Association Quarterly Lottery Sales Indicator www.egba.eu 3 Jeff Reymond Educating athletes on match–fixing: How to make a difference! Jeff Reymond, Secretary General of EU Athletes, the federation of European professional player associations reflects on the key findings of their Europe-wide education campaign against match-fixing. These figures strengthened us in our view that education is indispensable to bridge the worryingly wide gap between the athletes’ knowledge and the need to keep sports clean. From there grew the insight that the most effective way of curbing the situation In early 2013, my association “EU Athletes reached would be to set up an out to over 12900 education campaign EU Athletes, with the athletes over the through face-to-face backing of the European workshops conducted Commission and our partners course of 18 months by people athletes know from the betting industry the covering a total of 13 sports across 12 and thrust, namely the EGBA, RGA and ESSA was European countries” players associations able to launch an education themselves. To crystallize campaign (entitled «PROtect the campaign the Integrity») to educate EU Athletes set up the now widely professional athletes on the risks of recognized Code of Conduct for match-fixing. This initiative originated Athletes on betting issues based on the from a longstanding relationship with following key messages: the EGBA, RGA, ESSA, who as early as 2010 helped us develop a similar • Know the rules; programme. This programme mainly • It is safest to never bet on your sport; foresaw face-to-face sessions between • Be careful about handling sensitive professional athletes and trained information; educators specialised in betting-related • Fixing any part of an event is an match-fixing throughout Europe. absolute no-no; • Report any approaches. Research carried out on a sample of athletes at the start of the project Using these messages, EU Athletes confirmed the clear and urgent need reached out to over 12900 athletes for more education among athletes. over the course of 18 months covering Indeed, preliminary research at that a total of 13 sports across 12 European moment found that: countries. The process was further • 5 1% of players were not previously supported by posters, a cellphone aware of the sports regulations in app, a mobile friendly website and a force on sports betting integrity social media campaign – all translated regarding match-fixing; into eleven languages to ensure that • 37,2% had placed a bet at least athletes receive the message in a way once a month; that they can easily understand. • 27,4% had placed a bet at least once a week; In addition to targeting players, the • 1,5% were betting every day. 29 players’ associations that are members of EU Athletes received Issue 15: Fight against match-fixing expert tutor training on match-fixing issues at two successful conferences in Berlin and Athens over the course of the project. These concrete actions massively contributed to both athletes and their representatives becoming more convinced and engaged in the protection of the integrity of their sport. The quality of the education program was monitored through a questionnaire to players which yielded very encouraging results: • 93% are now more aware of the restrictions and implications of betting on their own game after the face-to-face meetings; • 84% of the players who answered the survey think more regular education sessions should be provided to players on sport betting integrity; • Last but not least, about 40 players during the course of the 18 months contacted their player associations with concerns about match-fixing issues. The latter cannot be further examined due to a variety of issues including confidentiality and the ongoing nature of some investigations. This represents, nevertheless, a significant result in the fight against match fixers, achieved by education and awareness raising. Subsequently, and in response to demands from the associations, a protocol for handling reports from players about match-fixing concerns was developed and published. The above statistics make the case for the continuation of sports betting integrity education programmes. EU Athletes will continue to look for support as it seeks to widen its education programme to more countries and sports in the future. www.egba.eu 4
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