ICC Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat, joins FIFA Head of Security, Chris Eaton, at GSFB 2012

February 16, 2012

ailment helvetica, sans-serif;”>Gambling and match-fixing under the spotlight, 7-9 March


Is gambling in sport good for business?  Will 2012 be another year of headline

convictions and corruption in a major competition? Is betting an integral part of commercial success, or a risk to the competitive integrity of the sport industry? What’s next for gambling in sport?


These questions and many more will be debated at the Global Sports Forum

Barcelona 2012 (GSFB), 7 – 9 March, as ICC Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat,

joins FIFA Head of Security, Chris Eaton, and Norbert Teufelberger, Co-CEO of

online gambling company Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment pls for a panel

discussion on “Gambling in sport.”


Eaton, who recently estimated that €300billion – €500billion is gambled on sport across the globe every year, has been involved in international criminal

investigations for 40 years.  He joins the panel to discuss his view that as many as 70% of bets placed on sport fixtures go through unregulated and unregistered bookmakers, which is threatening the integrity of professional sport.


Lucien Boyer, President and CEO, Havas Sport & Entertainment and

General Commissioner of the Global Sports Forum Barcelona, said:

“Gambling and corruption in sport remains a top priority for governing bodies

across the globe, with three Pakistan cricketers convicted of spot-fixing and FIFA appointing Chris Eaton to a new Head of Security role in 2011.”


“In such a big year for sport, the GSFB 2012 is leading the way in tackling the

issues that are of vital importance to the future of the sport industry and we are delighted to welcome five of the industry’s leading experts to the Forum.  We will be investigating how sport can manage legal gambling and eradicate the illegal bookmaking culture to protect the industry we all know and love.”


The most significant issue we need to tackle

International Cricket Council chief, Haroon Lorgat, recently highlighted the

danger illegal gambling posts to sport, telling BBC Test Match special that spot

fixing in cricket is “the most significant issue we need to tackle.”


“You cannot underestimate the value of protecting your integrity and the

reputation of the game and if that was to go, we’ve got no game,” Lorgat told

the BBC.  “I think we have shown we will not rest until we do tackle the issue.”


Lorgat, Eaton and Teufelberger will also be joined on the panel by John Abbott, Chairman of the INTERPOL steering group for the INTERPOL – FIFA initiative to reduce corruption in football, and Warren Phelops, gambling policy

representative for the European Sponsorship Association (ESA).


Registration for the GSFB 2012, which takes place at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya in Barcelona from 7 – 9 March, is now open.  For your exclusive

chance to hear from many of sport’s leading figures, including the likes of LOCOG Chairman, Sebastien Coe, Eric Cantona, England Rugby 2015 CEO, Paul Vaughan, and London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic hopeful, Oscar Pistorius, go to www.globalsportsforum.org/prices-registation_en_us and follow the on-screen registration instructions.


Members of the press are invited to attend free of charge.