IF Seminars

Sports betting in a post-Covid19 landscape: How can IFs protect their sport from betting-motivated match-fixing and how can they benefit from proactive and transparent engagement with the betting industry?

“The International Sports Federations are responsible for the integrity of their sport on the international level.” This says the first sentence of the IOC mission.

One essential part of any integrity definition is the common confidence in sports to produce fair and honest performances and outcomes.

According to many publications, betting-motivated match-fixing and game manipulations are one of the main threats jeopardizing the above aspect of a sport’s integrity throughout the ranks: be it for team sports or be it for individual sports.

And these threats are expected to be exacerbated by the implications of the global Covid19 pandemic, as many institutions are weakened, many activities moved into the less-regulated digital sphere and the focus of media attention has shifted away.

However, the betting industry does not have to be a threat to sports only. Through proactive, transparent and controlled engagement, the regulated betting market can be an important audience and revenue driver for any sport.

The only way to reap the rewards of betting without endangering its integrity, however, is to put measures in place that protect the sport in the first place.

What does the modern, digital betting landscape look like? What is its potential? What measures do sports need to combat the threat of match-fixing? Where are the possible vulnerabilities? And what can IFs of different sizes systematically do in order to benefit from the regulated betting industry in a secure way?

The Seminar aims at answering the above questions by providing technical explanations, practical recommendations on regulatory frameworks and hands-on suggestions on educational measures.