Global problem of illegal sports betting raised at United Nations conference in Atlanta
Global issues such as illegal sports betting, competition rigging and organized crime involvement in the sports world were addressed at a United Nations conference in Atlanta, USA.
Discussions at the International Anti-Corruption Conference, convened by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Atlanta and held from 11 to 15 December, will be based on the ground-breaking Global World on Corruption in Sport produced by UNODC in 2016. This was done based on the report. It has been noted that 2021 saw a dramatic increase in illegal gambling due to billions of dollars flowing through professional sports, globalization, and technological advancements.
UNODC is at the forefront of international efforts to support governments and sports bodies in preventing and punishing sports crime through its Protecting Sport from Corruption and Economic Crime programme, and is the largest organized illegal gambling market in the world. It is estimated that $1.7 trillion is at stake. crime.
Speaking at the conference’s session on sport and corruption, James Porteous, head of research at the Asian Horse Racing Confederation’s Illegal Gambling and Related Financial Crimes Council, said illegal gambling is now “the biggest driver of corruption in sport. ”. He pointed out that many of the regulations were drafted in the 19th century and are not appropriate for the Internet world.
Fixed Odds: Match Fixing
Representatives of anti-crime organizations present at the event emphasized the scale of the corruption problem.
Humaid Al Amemi, Coordinator of Interpol’s Anti-Corruption Division, said the manipulation of sports competitions, commonly known as match-fixing, is a highly organized process involving money laundering and other illegal activities. He explained that it was a formalized crime. and called for improved data sharing.
Al Ameemi described competitive manipulation as a “gateway to crime.” Joseph Gillespie, head of the FBI’s Transnational Organized Crime Threats Unit, further elaborated on this theme, stating that the bureau’s bureau does not support sports corruption through organized crime through extortion, illegal gambling, and other illegal activities. We have a strong interest in addressing sports corruption issues because it presents opportunities for profit.
Interpol, UNODC and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have collaborated to produce a guide for policymakers to help them address and effectively investigate competition manipulation.
Anita DeFrantz, IOC member and medal winner at the 1976 Montreal Games, stressed the importance of strong cooperation between sports organizations and law enforcement in ensuring integrity and credibility, and highlighted the importance of strong cooperation between sports organizations and law enforcement, He emphasized the role of the International Partnership for Prevention. (IPACS) includes international sports organizations, governments and intergovernmental organizations including UNODC.
The ugly side of the “beautiful game”
Soccer, the world’s most popular sport and with huge amounts of money flowing through it, is particularly prone to corruption. Even FIFA, the sport’s global governing body, has faced criminal charges and scandals, most notably in 2015 when several FIFA officials were arrested at a prominent hotel in Switzerland.
The 2016 FIFA corruption investigation by the US Department of Justice has brought significant international attention to corruption and crime in sports, and calls for action have increased.
Current FIFA president Gianni Infantino sent a video message to the conference, saying that protecting football from corruption and ensuring justice in sport are of paramount importance to the organization.
“As soccer is a multi-billion dollar global industry, it is a potential target for corruption and other criminal activity, which we will avoid to ensure the playing field is always level. And we need to fight,” Infantino said.
He said the new Memorandum of Understanding between FIFA and UNODC will be beneficial to the development of more than 60 projects related to anti-corruption, especially the Global Integrity Program to combat match-fixing, adding: “Everyone fighting corruption “A platform that facilitates the exchange of important information between the two countries.” In all areas of life. ”
Following the program, which included training more than 400 football integrity officers and government officials to address match operations, UNODC joined the Qatar FIFA World Cup Integrity Task Force, which oversaw match operations for 64 matches. (No threats to match manipulation were reported by the Task Force).