Competition Manipulation & Sports Wagering
The response to combat competition manipulation and sports wagering issues
We lead the Australian Government’s response to competition manipulation and sports wagering issues affecting Australian sport.
We achieve this by working with sports, the sports wagering industry, state and territory regulators and international counterparts to provide a clearer, more transparent, and consistent sports wagering regulatory framework. This is done to protect Australian sport from competition manipulation and sports wagering related threats.
What is competition manipulation?
Competition manipulation, sometimes referred to as match fixing, is an intentional act to improperly alter the course of a sports competition to obtain a benefit. It can be performed by individual competitors, entire teams, support staff, match officials or venue staff.
Criminals are often involved in competition manipulation to illegally profit through betting markets. Competition manipulation can also be motivated by obtaining sport-related benefits or advantages, such as securing a better draw in the finals, or qualification for a major event.
The Adam Green story
Former Australian table tennis player Adam Green pled guilty to placing bets on Ukrainian table tennis matches, he knew to be fixed.
In the below interview, Sport Integrity Australia spoke with Mr Green about how he got caught up in the illegal gambling scheme and how being convicted for betting on fixed matches has adversely affected his life.
Competition Manipulation and Sports Gambling eLearning
Everyone involved in sport including athletes, employees, coaches, officials, contractors and support personnel at all levels should be aware of competition manipulation threats and their relevant sport specific policy.
To help increase awareness, we developed a Competition Manipulation and Sports Gambling eLearning program that covers the following key areas:
- What competition manipulation is and why people are motivated to engage in it?
- Rules about betting on your own sport
- Why misusing inside information is prohibited
- How you may be approached or targeted by a corrupter and what you should do if approached
- Reporting requirements if you are approached, or have knowledge or suspicions relating to competition manipulation, and
- The consequences if you engage in competition manipulation
The Competition Manipulation and Sports Gambling eLearning program is available in our education portal.
Convention on the manipulation of sports competitions (Macolin Convention)
The Macolin Convention [PDF 175 KB] is the international treaty aimed at combating Competition Manipulation and other corruption in sport. Australia is a member of the Bureau of the Group of Copenhagen which supports the implementation of the Macolin Convention and has fostered relationships with the international community responding to the threat of competition manipulation.
The Australian Government has signed the Macolin Convention, and we are now coordinating the process for Australia to ratify the convention.
National Sport Integrity Offences
We are in the process of establishing National Sport Integrity Offences to provide a harmonised, consistent national approach to competition manipulation. The Offences will complement those already introduced by some states and territories. Establishment of the Offences will further strengthen Australia’s compliance with the Macolin Convention.
Australian Sports Wagering Scheme (ASWS)
The ASWS is a suite of policy and regulatory reforms focussed on sport integrity outcomes, primarily around how betting information is collated, analysed and disseminated to relevant bodies. The intent of the ASWS is to streamline current sports wagering regulation to provide clarity, transparency and consistency across Commonwealth, State and Territory jurisdictions.
By undertaking these reforms, we aim to ensure sports wagering occurs within a regulatory framework that will effectively protect the integrity of sport and ensure Australian sporting competitions are more resistant to evolving manipulation threats.
Sport Integrity Australia has engaged in significant consultation with stakeholders to develop the ASWS. We have released a series of consultation papers including the ASWS Strategy Paper and Operating Principles [Word 408 KB] which was informed by and shared with stakeholders.
International engagement
Sport Integrity Australia are active members of various relevant international groups and forums that focus on competition manipulation including:
- International Partnership Against Corruption in Sport – capacity building and awareness raising for sport issues
- Group of Copenhagen – sharing betting related information across national platforms
- United National Office of Drugs and Crime – thematic experts’ groups for publications and events
- INTERPOL Match-Fixing Taskforce – to focus on cross jurisdictional efforts to counter manipulations and support major events, including targeting illegal betting activity.
Resources
Look under the Competition Manipulation, Match-Fixing and Sport Wagering section of the Sport Integrity Australia Resources page for more information about livestreaming sporting events, data scouts and courtsiding.