Clement DE MAILLARD, INTERPOL Crime in Sport Project Manager
Channel: INTERPOL
Date: 24/11/2016

Sport brings people together, transcending differences in language, culture and beliefs. Unfortunately, the integrity of sport is undermined by a number of crimes, including match-fixing, illegal gambling and doping.
Organized criminal syndicates operate on a massive scale, targeting a wide range of sports, including (but not limited to) football, athletics, tennis and cycling. A number of different figures are at risk of being approached by criminals who wish to manipulate the outcomes of matches, for example, players, referees, managers and coaches.
Crimes in sport cross international borders and generate huge profits which are then channelled into other illegal activities. Estimates of the money made through illegal betting alone run into hundreds of millions of euros annually.
Match-fixing and illegal gambling are global challenges, especially as online gambling networks have made it extremely easy to bet on sporting competitions and matches anywhere in the world. We have developed online training for players, referees, managers and coaches on how to recognize, resist and report any form of match manipulation.
Doping is often viewed simply as a crime committed by an individual. The reality is that when an athlete takes illegal performance-enhancing drugs, this is just one piece in a larger network of crime.