Head of Group of Copenhagen discusses its partnership with ULIS
Corentin Segalen joined the French Gambling Authority (ANJ) in 2015 and has been coordinator of the French National Platform against match fixing since its establishment in 2016. In the same year, he contributed to the creation of the international network of National Platforms, the Group of Copenhagen (GoC), and was elected Chair of this network in 2021 and subsequently in 2023.
Segalen has also worked as the main coordinator of the MotivAction project, co-funded by the European Union, since 2022. This Erasmus+ project is the first to be run by National Platforms against sports manipulation. It aims to encourage athletes, referees and coaches to report all attempts to approach match-fixers. During the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Corentin coordinated the monitoring of sports manipulation, with the help of 24 countries.
WLA Magazine caught up with Segalen to learn more about the work of the GoC, and its interaction with the United Lotteries for the Integrity of Sports (ULIS).
What is the role of the Council of Europe’s Group of Copenhagen?
The GoC is the Council of Europe’s dedicated cooperation network to combat the manipulation of sports competitions. It brings together the national platforms established under Article 13 of the Macolin Convention and serves as its operational arm. The GoC aims to enhance information exchange, improve the detection and analysis of suspicious activities, and facilitate coordinated responses at both national and international levels.
What are the benefits of establishing a National Platform?
A National Platform is a key mechanism for coordinating the efforts of public authorities (Ministry of Sports, law enforcement, judiciary, financial intelligence units, gambling regulators), sports organizations (National Olympic Committees, major federations, athlete, referee, and coach representatives), and licensed betting operators (lotteries and private actors). It enables faster and more coherent responses to alerts, better data sharing, and significantly strengthens the credibility and effectiveness of integrity efforts, both nationally and globally.
How does ULIS support the regulated lottery and sports betting industry, and specifically the GoC?
ULIS plays a crucial role by collecting and sharing alerts from its members with the Group of Copenhagen. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed as early as 2017 with the Council of Europe to formalize this cooperation. All ULIS alerts are shared in the Group’s Logbook and categorized by severity—yellow, orange, or red. This Logbook offers reliable, country- and sport-specific data on a monthly basis, supporting early and accurate detection of suspicious betting patterns. Additionally, ULIS contributes to the establishment of national platforms through financial support of the ACT project.
How does the GoC contribute to the ULIS network?
The GoC serves as the key entry point for lotteries to engage with public authorities. Combating sports manipulation requires multisectoral and international cooperation. The Macolin Convention provides a structured legal framework for processing data, ensures confidentiality of exchanges, and helps identify cross-border patterns. The GoC also promotes harmonized analytical standards, strengthens ties with investigative bodies, and increases the effectiveness of ULIS members’ efforts—always striving to ensure that prosecutors receive the most relevant and actionable information.
What, if any, other assistance could ULIS provide its members?
ULIS could further support its members by developing shared training modules with National Platforms, enhancing technical interoperability of alert systems, and producing consolidated analyses of global manipulation trends. A continuous dialogue with the Group of Copenhagen would also help refine the quality, relevance, and operational value of alerts shared with public stakeholders. We could share a common sports manipulation dashboard, for example, to strike back at the criminal networks.
‍
About
Media inquiries
Legal notice
PLATINUM Contributors
Gold Contributors
The views expressed in the WLA magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the WorldLottery Association.
This pop-up contains legal information about this website.
This content is the property of the World Lottery Association (WLA). It may not be transferred
from the custody or control of the WLA except as authorized in writing by an officer of the WLA.
Neither this document, nor the information it contains, may be used, transferred, reproduced,
published, or disclosed, in whole or in part, either directly or indirectly, except as expressly
authorized by an officer of the WLA, pursuant to written agreement.
The WLA Website has been designed to provide information to the lottery community. The World Lottery Association has used great efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information. However, WLA excludes any warranty, whether express or implied, for any information provided under these pages. WLA cannot be held responsible for any action taken that is based on the information hereunder.
The WLA Website also contains third party information. Such information is, wherever practically possible, marked with the name of the source and does not necessarily represent the opinion of the World Lottery Association. WLA does not take any responsibility whatsoever for such third party information.
The WLA Website also contains links to other Internet sites. WLA does not have any knowledge of the information contained in such other sites, nor has WLA been able to include such other sites in its efforts to provide accurate information. WLA therefore does not take any responsibility whatsoever for such third party information.
All rights reserved except where indicated.
