Sports Corruption in the Spotlight: UN Conference Tackles Illegal Betting

The US hosted the 10th conference (CoSP10) of the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) from December 11 to 15. Over 2,000 delegates from governments and international organizations attended the conference, which focused on the growing problem of corruption in sports.

James Porteous, the Research Head of the Asian Racing Federation Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related Financial Crime, said illegal bets are the “number one factor fueling corruption in sports”. He said many laws against match-fixing date back to the 19th century and don’t work in the digital age.

The conference also launched new guidelines to fight match-fixing. This joint effort involves Interpol, the IOC, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The guidelines aim to help sports bodies and law enforcement agencies around the world to investigate and prevent match-fixing cases.

According to UNODC data, the global illegal betting market rakes in $1.7 trillion a year.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who joined via video conference, praised the Memorandum of Understanding between FIFA and UNODC. This partnership has led to over 60 anti-corruption projects in football – including The Global Integrity Programme, which trains hundreds of officials on how to uphold integrity and prevent match-fixing.