August 18 – European leagues have joined forces with the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International to promote an awareness campaign on how to avoid match-fixing amid concerns that the internet has given the fraudsters more ammunition than ever.
The growth of the global betting market and the potential gains from gambling and money laundering associated with betting has made football a prime target for organised crime.
A report to be published next month says that match-fixing in football is part of a “global malaise” and that the threat is now greater than ever.
“We strongly believe awareness-raising and education are key to tackling the problem of match-fixing,” said Cobus de Swardt, managing director of Transparency International. “As an anti-corruption organisation with experience helping people say no to corruption, Transparency International can offer support to those in football who have to come to grips with risky situations.”
Frédéric Thiriez, president of the Association of European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) said: “As the common voice of the European Leagues, the EPFL is strongly committed to use all its power and influence to ensure that the integrity of our Leagues’ competitions is fully preserved.”
Among the EPFL member leagues, the German Football League (DFL) has provided critical support and its chief executive Christian Seifert commented: “We strongly believe that education and training especially of younger players is a key element of prevention. We want to create a clear understanding and awareness about the dangers and consequences of match-fixing and gambling addiction in order to protect the players and to combat match-fixing.”
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