United Nations flags illegal gambling as cause of sports corruption

The United Nations has kept close tabs on corruption in sports over the years, and in the latest gathering of the organization conducted at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (INODC) last week, offshore operations were flagged as the main instigator of corruption in sports.

The remarks were made by the Research Head of the Asian Racing Federation Council on Anti-Illegal Betting and Related Financial Crime James Porteous who said that illegal gambling was sowing corruption in sports on all levels.

The United States has seen an increase in the cases of professional and student-athletes engaging in forbidden gambling practices, although admittedly those cases seldom point to a more nefarious behavior on the part of the guilty party other than a desire to place a wager for the entertainment value.

However, in some cases, this is a matter of a more serious problem, such as gambling addiction. The United Nations, though, is concerned with match-fixing, a problem that has grown over the years, even though data collection and real-time monitoring provided by the likes of Sportradar and Genius Sports has significantly bolstered leagues and watchdog’s capabilities of intervening.

INTERPOL Coordinator of the Anti-Corruption Unit Humaid AlAmeemi explained that match-fixing is not an isolated incident, but rather a well-orchestrated criminal effort that involves money laundering, terrorist funding, and more.

This sentiment was echoed by FBI Chief of the Transnational Organized Crime Threats Unit Joseph Gillespie who confirmed that the Bureau was indeed interested in taking care of corruption in sport and ensuring that a global coalition is formed to tackle the festering issue.

The biggest issue to date tied to corruption in sports has to do with soccer, and the notorious 2015 scandal implicating FIFA officials, and leading to high-level investigations, along with a number of suspicious depths.

Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s boss, also joined the UN gathering via video link and said that his organization had every interest in making sure that sports are safeguarded. Match-fixing issues have been taken with the utmost seriousness by regulators and law enforcement all over the world.

A recent high-profile scandal involving the Brazilian Football Confederation triggered an investigation into illegal gambling that was tied to match-fixing at some of the country’s most prominent clubs and players. Briefly, it was rumored that the country may face a global suspension from professional soccer.

Meanwhile, match-fixing has also been an issue in electronic sports, with Australia and local enforcement remaining at the forefront of tackling corruption in esports. There have been a number of efforts in and even penalties issued to match-fixers in esports in the Down Under.

Image credit: Unsplash.com