December 10, (THEWILL) – In the last two decades, there has been a significant increase in criminal activities in the sporting world, especially sports betting.
According to a report released on Friday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), up to $1.7 trillion is wagered on illicit betting markets each year.
The Global Report on Corruption in Sport not only provides a playbook for combating crime and corruption in sports by laying out several concrete policy considerations, it also reveals the staggering scale, manifestation, and complexity of corruption and organized crime in sport at the global, regional, and national levels.
It is the most comprehensive evaluation of its kind to date, having been developed in collaboration with nearly 200 experts from government, sports organizations, the commercial sector, academia, and other associated sectors.
It is the most comprehensive evaluation of its kind to date, having been developed in collaboration with approximately 200 experts from government, sports organizations, the commercial sector, academia, and other associated sectors.
While sports corruption is not a new phenomenon, as fraudulent acts in the administration of sports institutions have been documented since the ancient Olympic Games, criminal activity in this sector has increased dramatically in the last two decades.
Globalization, a huge infusion of money, the quick expansion of legal and illegal sports betting, and technological advances that are revolutionizing the way sport is played and consumed are making it more appealing to criminal networks looking to profit from it.
In this context, the Global Report assesses a wide range of topics, including illicit betting, competitive manipulation, sports abuse, the susceptibility of big sporting events to corruption, and organized criminal involvement, among others.
It also discusses the changing environment of sport and its relationship to corrupt practices, as well as existing initiatives to address the issue, challenges linked to identifying and reporting misconduct, and how existing legal frameworks can be used to combat corruption in this field.
The Global Report was released at a critical time, with an increased focus on anti-corruption measures across all sectors, including sports.
The research is being released ahead of next week’s biennial UN anti-corruption meeting, the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which will take place in Egypt, from December 13 to 17.
The Global Report, which is aimed at both governments and sports groups, emphasizes the urgent need to:
• respond to various manifestations of corruption and crime in sport at the global, regional, and national levels, strengthen legal, policy, and institutional frameworks to prevent and
• develop and execute comprehensive anti-corruption measures in sport, with a focus on eliminating corruption in major sporting events, competitive manipulation, unlawful betting, and organized criminal involvement in sport.
• encourage and expand collaboration and the exchange of information and best practices among sports organizations, crime prevention and criminal justice agencies, and law- and policymakers.
• increase awareness of the interconnections between corruption and organized crime in sport, as well as the capacity of relevant government agencies and sports organizations to combat them.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
