Integrity in sport update: US predicted to illegally wager $93bn on American Football in 2015

In this week's media recap, there is a number of articles on illegal sports betting and police successes, such as the arrest of a celebrity that was arrested for illegal gambling. She operated from her apartment and according to prosecutors the bets were high amounts in the millions. A further article elaborates on the United States of America's $133.5 billion illegal betting operations run by organised criminal networks, that is generating lots of debate in some States as an enormous tax potential.

There is also good news stories such as Liberia, that has trained all their referees against match-fixing and from Qatar that will be the venue for the first technical meeting on match-fixing in sport hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) together with the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS).

GOOD PRACTICE

Liberia

The Chairman Referees Standing committee of the Liberia Referee Association, Meson Goe, has warned referees in the country against match-fixing in the game of football. Mr. Goe admonished Liberian referees to report match-fixing because it is a crime, further emphasizing the availability of facts to authenticate its criminal nature. Speaking at the close of the week-long international referee training Course in Monrovia, the veteran Liberian referee noted that if a country must have a good referee in every football league, the game must be played with openness, other than discouraging lovers of the game through match-fixing in favor of another team. He recommended the involvement of state security in issues of match-fixing because they are law enforcers, expressing the belief that such involvement would reduce the rate of match-fixing. Mason Goe described referees as key players in the game of football, adding that if the game must be a good one, let the laws of the game make them know what they are doing on the field of play. He urged referees, sport lovers and team officials to exercise openness for the game as the game entails fair play.

Source: Sally Gaye, "Do Away with Match Fixing", 8 September 2015, The New Dawn, https://www.thenewdawnliberia.com/sports/8364-do-away-with-match-fixing

Qatar

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) will host the first technical meeting on match-fixing in sport on Wednesday and Thursday in Doha. The joint meeting will be held as a follow-up on the recommendations of the Declaration of Berlin, adopted in 2013 by the 5th World Conference of Sport Ministers (MINEPS V). It will gather over 60 government officials, international experts and leaders in sport. Hailed as a beacon for future national and international sports policy, the Declaration of Berlin was adopted by 600 participants from 121 countries at the MINEPS V. It seeks to improve and enhance international cooperation between governments and all other sport stakeholders on issues of access, investment and integrity of sport. Some of the key recommendations outlined within Declaration of Berlin with respect to the fight against the manipulation of sports competitions include improved sports governance and zero-tolerance policy within the sport movement, especially against doping and the manipulation of sports competitions. It also recommends greater collaboration in the early detection of manipulation; preventive measures and monitoring in accordance with national and international law and an effective, proportionate disciplinary regulation combined with specific national and international legislation.

Source: "Doha to host technical meeting on match-fixing", 12 September 2015, The Peninsula, https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/news/qatar/352193/doha-to-host-technical-meeting-on-match-fixing

ILLEGAL BETTING

Australia

A “backyard” gambling operation set up for punters who wanted to smoke, drink, watch sport and bet in a comfortable environment landed a Perth father in court, where he was fined $3000 yesterday. Professional poker player Brian Joseph Glynn claims to have organised the gatherings at a property he rented in a semi-industrial area in Burswood to provide training to other players and gamble among friends, who could not smoke at the casino. Unbeknown to Glynn, the activities were monitored by a nine-month covert joint operation by Racing and Gaming WA officers and police. Prosecutor Jane Godfrey told the Perth Magistrate’s Court, where Glynn pleaded guilty to a charge of allowing premises to be used as a common gambling house, that the father of three had set up a “significant venture”. Ms Godfrey said when a search warrant was executed at the property on October 13, 2013, people were playing the card game Sexy. Some players had hundreds of dollars on them, others thousands. Glynn took a commission on wagers, there was evidence the property was being used for gambling on a weekly basis and there was a board outlining a jackpot system. Ms Godfrey said the joint investigation was expensive and the offence was difficult to detect.

Source: Amanda Banks, "Father fined over illegal gambling den", 10 September 2015, The Western Australian, https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/29481114/father-fined-over-illegal-gambling-den/

Tuesday, 15 September 2015