All continents face common challenges of illegal betting and the manipulation of sports competitions as well as issues related to the expansion of sports betting markets. Such activities threaten the reputation of regulated lotteries and sports betting operators, and broader sports ecosystem.
With more than half of WLA lottery members offering sports betting, it has become increasingly important for WLA to ramp up its efforts to combat match fixing and maintain the integrity of sports.
WLA works with different partners on this important matter, such as the Council of Europe (CoE) and supports its Addressing Competitions Manipulation Together (ACT) project.
WLA and the Macolin Convention
The Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, aka The Macolin Convention, was developed to address growing illegal sports betting and manipulation of results, which had seriously damaged the image of sport in a number of countries. It called for the development and implementation of mechanisms to reduce the risk of match-fixing, illegal sports betting or other illicit activities.
Entering into force on 1 September 2019, it has been ratified by ten parties and signed by Australia, 32 other European States, and Morocco.
The WLA was instrumental in drafting the initial version of the Macolin Convention, and is aligned with its definition of legal and illegal gaming, which is embedded in the WLA Code of Conduct.
Focusing on North America
Continued expansion of online sports betting in North America, makes it imperative to ensure the appropriate framework and regulations are in place in the region, to reduce the risk of the manipulation of sports competitions, money laundering, and the growth of illegal betting.
In April, WLA Executive Director, Luca Esposito, participated in the CoE’s ACT project, two-day event in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, on the theme of Combating the manipulation of sports competitions and illegal betting.
The event was hosted by Loto-Québec and supported by the WLA through its Betting Integrity for Sports and Horse Racing Committee, which is dedicated to raising awareness of the issues and developing tools and resources to assist members, and the United Lotteries for Integrity in Sport (ULIS).
Concrete ways to tackle illicit activities in sport
The Macolin Community is a network comprised of key international stakeholders, including public authorities, sports organizations, betting operators, betting monitoring bodies, law enforcement and judiciary agencies, who support the Macolin Convention. Together they work on projects in different global regions, to combat match fixing and its broader implications.
The ACT programme aims to strengthen intelligence and investigative capabilities, with representatives from 20 countries taking part during the recent two-day event in Canada. Topics covered included:
Macolin Community Conference – Preserving the integrity of sport by combating competitions manipulation and illegal betting.
Here, discussions underscored the threats to sports integrity, by illegal betting operator tactics for infiltrating North American countries, and some strategies for dealing with illegal sites and match fixing.
Macolin Community Workshop – The essential role of national and international cooperation in combating sports competitions manipulation.
During the workshop, attendees shared best practices and experiences, for instance, ways to investigate and national challenges faced looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup.
Experts discussed key challenges related to sports competitions manipulation and illegal betting and provided participants with an overview of diverse approaches to address sports competitions’ manipulation and illegal betting, including: measures to facilitate international and national cooperation between public authorities (law enforcement and justice), sports organizations, gambling regulators and betting operators.
More about the ACT project
This project aims to promote and enhance the implementation of the Macolin Convention, as widely as possible. It facilitates:
- Raising awareness on the widescale of sports competitions’ manipulations, how to prevent, identify, investigateand sanction them.
- Increasing cooperation amongkey stakeholders, including: public authorities, sports organizations,competition organizers and sports betting operators at national andinternational levels through national platforms.
- Improving legal frameworks forsports betting regulations, criminal law and whistle-blower protection.
