INTERPOL Integrity in Sport Bi-Weekly Bulletin - 22 August 2016-5 September 2016
In this edition of the bi-weekly bulletin, we give the floor to Mrs Lorraine Pearman, Betting Integrity Programme Lead at the UK Gambling Commission who introduces the Sports Betting Intelligence Unit established in 2010, as a part of the British Gambling Commission and Britain's betting integrity national platform.
September starts with a full calendar here at INTERPOL's Integrity in Sports Unit. There will be many events taking place from now until the end of the year. This bulletin continues with a follow-up of the South Korean match-fixing case in baseball and the news of the ban on the Russian Paralympic team.
A particular case came up in this edition regarding bugging. A listening device was discovered in a meeting room of a rugby team in a hotel. One theory is that a betting syndicate is behind the planting of the device in order to gain an advantage on the betting of the matches from classified information.
THE FLOOR TO...
Mrs Lorraine Pearman, Betting Integrity Programme Lead, UK Gambling Commission
The Sports Betting Intelligence Unit, known as the SBIU, is at the centre of the British approach to address match fixing and betting integrity. Our story began back in 2010, when we were established as one of the key recommendations(1) following a government review into tackling corruption in sport. The last six years has seen many different developments that present new risks and challenges and we are continually reviewing our working practices to keep pace with ever changing complexities. Reports into SBIU increased significantly in 2014 as a result of a change to British gambling legislation. From November 2014, any operator offering betting services to British customers needed to be licensed by the Gambling Commission. This means they must comply with the licence condition that requires the reporting of suspicious betting activity to the SBIU. As a consequence we began to receive more reports. Whilst this is welcome in that we now have a much more comprehensive view of potential betting integrity issues on our regulated markets, it has increased the workload. So we have now expanded the SBIU team to five full time members from its original two.
Outside of the Commission we are members of the Sports Betting Integrity Forum (SBIF), which was formed in 2011 to help coordinate our wider national approach to protecting betting integrity. Membership is made up of representatives from sport, law enforcement, betting operators and the Commission. More details on the Forum can be found on their website(2). The SBIU and the SBIF together form Britain’s national platform. A key success of the Forum was to develop a process to support betting integrity cases where criminality is suspected. The process helps identify how criminal investigations and those relating to breaches of sports codes or rules can be run concurrently. The process was deployed in the recent case(3) involving Welsh football club Port Talbot. SBIU, South Wales Police and the Welsh Football Association, supported by betting operators and the Crown Prosecution Service, were able to act swiftly to consider the available evidence and agree what actions could be taken. Eleven arrests of footballers and their associates took place on Wednesday 10 August. We are also proud members of the Council of Europe and European Union’s Joint Project, ‘Keep Crime out of Sport’(4).
You can find out more about the SBIU on the Gambling Commission’s website(5). Or contact me on the email address below. Lorraine Pearman
Betting Integrity Programme Lead
- https://sbif.uk/Research-and-reports/The-Parry-Report.aspx
- https://sbif.uk/home.aspx
- https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-37031683
- https://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/crime-out-sport
- https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/Licensing-compliance-enforcement/Intelligence/sbiu.aspx
INVESTIGATIONS
Australia
A champion Australian harness racing driver is one of four industry insiders implicated in an alleged race fixing operation identified by Victoria's elite anti-sports corruption police taskforce. Fairfax Media can reveal that detectives arrested the four harness racing industry participants on Sunday early evening, after the Breeders Crown at TAB Park in Melton. The event is one of the biggest harness meets in Australia. It is the second time in as many years Victoria Police has uncovered alleged harness race fixing in an industry that generates tens of millions of dollars in gaming revenue for the state government. The race fixing allegations will be keenly watched by Victoria's thoroughbred racing administrators on the eve of the Spring Carnival. One of the suspects in the police investigation that prompted Sunday's raids - champion driver Nathan Jack - has previously been suspected of leaking inside information to punters to increase their betting odds. Analysis of Mr Jack's TAB accounts has previously uncovered an allegedly suspicious transaction. Police were still questioning Jack and the other arrested industry insiders on Sunday night. The police operation was triggered by sensitive betting activity involving a race in June last year, which stewards and police suspect may have been fixed. The inquiry has been examining whether a small number of harness racing industry identities have engaged in 'cheating in sport' offences, including manipulating a race to effect a betting outcome. Those found to have breached the laws can face serious penalties, including jail terms and large fines. Harness racing is regarded as the poor cousin of thoroughbred racing, with the smaller prize pools and a racing format that may make it easier for cheats to target. But certain figures known to police float between harness and thoroughbred racing. It is understood harness racing investigators have worked with police on the inquiry that prompted the arrests on Sunday. Harness racing has reformed its anti-corruption unit as part of a push by racing minister Martin Pakula to improve integrity measures across all three racing codes.
Source: "Top harness racing driver allegedly involved in race fixing", 29 August 2016, Sydney Morning Herald https://www.smh.com.au/sport/top-harness-racing-driver-allegedly-involved-in-race-fixing-20160828-gr2yjk
Zimbabwe
Mujokoro and Mvala allegedly attempted to bribe Border Strikers goalkeeper Talent Sande with $300 to throw way the PSL match between the two sides at Dulivhadzimu Stadium on August 3. Bulawayo City went on to win the match 1-0, but a trap was set for Mujokoro and Mvala. The club is charged with breaching Order 31.1.3 which states that it is an offence if “players, officials, servants or duly authorised (expressed or implied) representatives, for any corrupt, dishonesty or lawful purpose in connection with a game played under the auspices of the league, or in connection with the affairs of the league, give, offer or promise, whether directly or indirectly, any inducement, reward or bribe of whatsoever nature, to anybody whatsoever”. Mujokoro and Mvala are accused of violating PSL rules and regulations in connection with the alleged bribe incident that took place on August 2 in Beitbridge. Sande is the star witness in the case after he allegedly received WhatsApp messages from Mujokoro and Mvala, asking him to throw away the match for monetary gain. The summonses were signed by PSL chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele. Bulawayo City FC acting chief executive officer Mackenzie Moyo yesterday said the club was doing its own investigations and the suspended technical staff, including head coach Philani “Beefy” Ncube and goalkeepers’ coach Reginald Buhali, would soon be appearing for a hearing at the club.
Source: "Bulawayo City summoned over match-fixing", 23 August 2016, News Day https://www.newsday.co.zw/2016/08/23/bulawayo-city-summoned-match-fixing/
