The Sport and Recreation Alliance is repeating calls for government to make match-fixing a criminal offence, in the wake of the news that two cricket players are about to be charged with fixing the outcome of a country cricket match.
Since 2010, the Alliance has lead the Sports Betting Group (SBG), which includes representatives from the Football Association, England and Wales Cricket Board, British Horseracing Authority, Rugby Football Union, Professional Players Federation and the Premier League.
After a sustained period of campaigning by the SBG, last month the Gambling Commission changed its Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice to help protect the integrity of sport.
The changes mean that sports bodies will have greater access to information about suspicious betting patterns and provides a significant boost in NGBs' efforts to wipe out match-fixing and corrupt betting.
But the Alliance’s Head of Policy, James Allen, doesn’t feel that the changes have gone far enough and has called for tougher action on match-fixing and for all serious cases to be pursued through the courts.
“We have been calling on the government to make match-fixing a specific criminal offence to make it easier to prosecute cases. Speculation that players suspected of being involved in fixing will avoid criminal charges sends out the wrong message.
“We should be prosecuting to the full extent of the law wherever the evidence supports it.
“It would be very disappointing if prosecutors didn’t even consider pursuing cases. Ultimately, fixing is criminal and it can often be linked to more serious and organised crime like money laundering and that means it’s vital that we take suspected cases seriously.
“This is a chance for the authorities to handle a suspected betting integrity case in a co-ordinated, effective manner – something that has not necessarily always been the case in the past.
“There needs to be a smooth and timely flow of information and cooperation between the NGB and law enforcement agencies.”
Read more Sport and Recreation Alliance news.
Read David Foster's blog, Match-fixing scandal: This is just the tip of the iceberg.
