ESSA Statement: UK-France sports corruption/match-fixing pact

“ESSA has consistently promoted increased international cooperation as a vital component in the eradication of match-fixing. The association therefore welcomes this important initiative which builds upon the work of the Council of Europe established Group of Copenhagen Network of National Platforms, seeking to develop and establish common tools in the fight against the manipulation of sports competitions, which both the UK and France are members of.

“ESSA encourages other nations to follow the example of the UK and France and place international cooperation and information sharing at the forefront of their betting integrity policies. ESSA remains committed to working with the Gambling Commission and ARJEL through our information sharing agreements and to working with all responsible parties to share our knowledge and expertise in this area,” stated Khalid Ali Secretary General of international sports betting integrity body ESSA.

ESSA holds positions on match-fixing and betting policy forums at the European Commission, Council of Europe and the IOC. It is driving a number of important initiatives aimed at addressing match-fixing and is currently involved in four anti-match-fixing projects (see here), having hosted an international betting integrity conference at Lords Cricket Ground (see here) at the end of last year, attended by over 150 senior officials from sports bodies, regulators and other key stakeholders.

ESSA has memorandum of understanding (MoU) with both the UK Gambling Commission and French regulator ARJEL to exchange information regarding suspicious betting. The association’s Q3 integrity report for 2017 (here) stated that 72 cases of suspicious betting had been referred to the relevant authorities during the quarter, adding to a total of 152 alerts over the first three quarters of the year; the 2017 annual report will be available shortly.

A copy of the UK-France sports betting integrity pact can be accessed here.