Convention against match-fixing signed by 15 States

Following the adoption of the final text of the “Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions” of the Council of Europe on 9 July 2014, the Convention was signed on 18 September in Magglingen, Switzerland.

Due to concerns of the legal services of the EU Council and the EU Commission, it was unclear until the last moment which national delegations would be able to sign. Finally the Convention was signed by fifteen States: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, the Russian Federation, Serbia and Switzerland. The objective of the Convention is to prevent, detect and punish the manipulation of sports competitions in all sports. An integral part of the Convention is the setting up of national platforms (Art. 13) in order to enhance the exchange of information and international co-operation between public authorities, sports organisations and sports betting operators.

Furthermore the States are asked (Art. 9) to identify or to establish a betting regulating authority. In order to monitor the implementation of the Convention, Art. 30 foresees the setting up of a follow-up Committee. The Committee will consist of representatives from public authorities responsible for sport, law enforcement and betting regulation.

The Olympic Movement regards the Convention as an important step in the fight against match fixing in sport and encourages all governments to take the necessary decisions to initiate the signing and/or the ratification process. The Convention will only enter into force once 5 States (among which at least 3 are Member States of the Council of Europe) have finalized the ratification procedure.

Further information: Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions