IOC Steps Up Illegal Betting Fight

A working group led by the IOC and comprising of government ministers, as well as representatives from Interpol, the United Nations, national Olympic committees, international federations, and athletes, has agreed to set up three sub-groups to work on detailed objectives in the fight against irregular and illegal betting in sport.

The working group was established at the first meeting on irregular and illegal sports betting on 1st March 2011.

The group has also agreed that more needs to be done to strengthen the cooperation between sports, governments and betting operators to fight irregular and illegal betting.

Groups of experts will be formed to determine the objectives in three key areas, for the new body.

The three key areas that the new body will focus on are education; monitoring, intelligence and analysis; and legislation and regulations.

The group is chaired by International Olympic Committee President, Jacques Rogge.

President Rogge said: ‘We foresee increased cooperation in the monitoring and coordination of the fight against illegal and irregular betting in sport’.  

The deadline for establishing the sub-groups has been set for the end of July, and the sub-groups are scheduled to hold their first meetings between September and November.

Their individual reports will then be submitted to the Working Group by the end of 2011.

The IOC first took preventative measures to tackle the problem of illegal and irregular betting five years ago, when the IOC’s Code of Ethics was amended in 2006 to forbid all participants in the Olympic Games from betting on Olympic events.

Subsequent measures have been aimed at raising awareness of the issue, safeguarding the integrity of the Olympic Games and sport in general, as well as strengthening collaboration with partners inside and outside the Olympic Movement.