IOC Create Task Force Against Illegal/Irregular Sports Betting

International Olympic Committee delegates attending the meeting on combating illegal and irregular sports betting at their headquarters in Zurich were reportedly “shocked” to hear of the full extent of the problem from an Interpol source. 

The meeting heard that last year’s figure for illegal betting was an estimated US$140bn and in confirming this figure, health Jacques Rogge, discount | the IOC President, there described it as “a budget much higher than that of many developing nations.”

The revelations saw the delegation, including representatives from the sports world, governments, international organisations and betting operators agree to create a task force assigned to work on a set of action points they approved at the meeting.

The task force will comprise members of the sports movement, governments, international organisations and betting operators, and will seek to address the following action points:

• * The necessity and possibilities for governments, international organisations and sports betting operators to support the sports world in its efforts to protect the integrity of sports competitions;
• * The various means to strengthen cooperation between themselves to fight more effectively against all forms of cheating in sport, particularly those linked to  irregular and illegal betting;
• * The various existing systems, national laws, self-regulating systems and implementation methods, in order to identify effective methods for cross-border cooperation;
• * The various existing systems of enforcement, punishment and measures in terms of education;
• Appropriate methods of funding to support the efforts of the sports movement to protect the integrity of competitions.

Jacques Rogge added: “Today’s (March 1) meeting was the latest effort in an ongoing process that will grow to involve many more countries, international organisations and Olympic partners,” said President Rogge. “I am pleased with the fruitful discussions we had today and the progress we made in many areas, all of which will be communicated to our partners in the Olympic Movement in due time.”