Competition Manipulation and Sports Betting Policy – overview

Competition manipulation, sometimes referred to as match-fixing, is when someone deliberately and dishonestly influences a sporting event to gain a benefit.

It’s commonly linked to betting, but can also include non-betting actions like tanking, which is deliberately underperforming.
 

Competition manipulation:

• is unfair, and illegal in some cases
• damages trust in sport and can harm the reputation of those involved
• can create dangerous situations like threats or blackmail
• can happen in any sport, at any level.
   

The Competition Manipulation and Sports Betting Policy helps to keep sport fair.

The Policy sets out behaviours that are banned in sport (called Prohibited Conduct), how to report allegations and how your sport manages these issues.

What does this Policy mean for me?

If a sport you are a member of has adopted the National Integrity Framework, then these rules apply to you.

The Policy covers every level of your sport, from community clubs to state and national member organisations. 

The Policy applies to all involved in the sport, including:

• participants/athletes
• coaches and officials
• administrators and staff
• volunteers
• contractors and support personnel (e.g. sports science and medical staff, team managers, agents)
• any individual or organisation required to agree to the Policy.

Banned behaviours (Prohibited Conduct)

The Policy details all the behaviours that are not allowed in your sport.

Refer to your sport’s national website for the full Policy, but here is a summary of banned behaviours.
 

Match or spot-fixing

Manipulating a moment in or the result of a sporting event to gain a benefit, e.g. arranging a result before the contest, including to profit from betting.
 

Tanking

Deliberately underperforming to gain an advantage e.g. intentionally losing to get a favourable draw.
 

Misusing inside information

Sharing private information that influences betting e.g. revealing non-public team selections to someone placing a bet.
 

Betting on your sport

Betting restrictions vary by sport so it’s important to check the Policy. You must follow your sport’s rules, which may prohibit betting on your sport entirely or prohibit betting on events you’re connected to.
 

False identification

Deliberately providing wrong information to gain an advantage e.g. lying about your age to compete in a different category.
 

Bribery

Offering or accepting payments or any other incentives to engage in competition manipulation.
 

Courtsiding or unauthorised data scouting

Collecting and sharing live information from an event connected to your sport to gain an advantage when betting or for unauthorised commercial use.
 

Failing to report and complicity

You must never accept, assist or cover-up any approach to manipulate a sporting event. 

You must report any suspicious approach, request for inside information, or knowledge of possible competition manipulation as soon as you can.
 

Unfair modifications

Interfering with equipment or playing surfaces, outside the rules, to gain an advantage.

Full definitions of Prohibited Conduct for each sport are available in the Policy which can be found on your sport’s national website.

Not all actions that affect outcomes of sport are competition manipulation.

It’s important for each sport to consider the context, including its rules and standard practices.

Let’s compare an example of Prohibited Conduct with a behaviour that is acceptable:

• Prohibited Conduct: deliberately underperforming to lose and face an easier opponent in an upcoming round. This is tanking.
• Acceptable behaviour: opting to rest or rotate players so they’re better prepared for a more critical match.

Reporting

As part of this Policy, you must report any suspicions or allegations of competition manipulation to your sport.

• Find your contact on the Lodging a report with a sport page.
   

Allegations of a criminal nature will be referred to law enforcement.

Visit the Sport Integrity Australia reporting page or your sport’s website for more information on reporting.

What happens when rules are broken?

Allegations are managed under your sport’s Complaints, Disputes and Discipline Policy.

Depending on the seriousness of the behaviour, possible sanctions may include:

• Formal warnings
• Education
• Fines
• Bans from sport, from short-term suspensions to lifetime bans.
   

Competition manipulation may also be a criminal offence. Criminal conduct will be investigated by law enforcement and may result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment.