Responsible Gaming Day

17 February 2009

Corruption in Sport – some of the issues

Paul ScotneyDirector of Integrity Services & Licensing

British Horseracing Authority

British Horseracing

• Principal responsibility is to protect the integrity of British Horseracing.

• In 2002 an influential television programme alleged that British Horseracing was institutionally corrupt – Our response was to set up unit that would focus on betting related corruption.

• Established formal links with the betting industry that are now part of Government legislation.

• Over the last 5 years investigated a significant number of allegations into betting related corruption.

• The outcome has been the exclusion of 15 jockeys from the sport. Sanctions also taken against more than 50 other licensed and non-licensed persons.

The threat is real for all Sports!

• Betting scandals in sport are not new – historically for more than 200 years e.g, Horseracing.

• Another is the American Baseball scandal of 1919 World Series - still strongly featured in any historical account of corrupt betting.

• More recently other sports have suffered in the same way - Cricket (Cronie) and Tennis (Davydenko).

• And football – a number of betting related match-fixing allegations most recently in England.

• Damage to the reputation of the Sport - loss of public confidence in the Regulator and/or the Event.

• Loss of sponsorship opportunities - important revenue streams for the sport.

• Disincentive for people to attend/watch sporting events

• Media outlets (television/radio) more reluctant to cover events.

• Loss of confidence in the sport by betting organisations (Davydenko).

There are further consequences

• Full assessment on the precise nature and level of threat to the sport

• An effective strategy to address these problems to achieve the dual aims of ‘prevention’ and ‘detection’.

• Structure to adequately address the threat including the ability to tackle betting related corruption wherever it occurs and whatever the Political and Betting regimes of the country.

• Commit sufficient level of resource to that structure. Sports Integrity Units must have Intelligence, Investigative, Analytical and Betting expert’s.

Dealing with the Threat: the starting point

Sports Betting Relationships

• A meaningful relationship between sports regulator and betting industry and regulator;

• Underpinned by a clear legislative framework - Gambling Commission in Great Britain;

• Horseracing in Great Britain is funded through a statutory levy.