RGA and ABB support sportsbetting intelligence unit

The Remote Gambling Association (RGA), which represents some of Europe’s largest remote gambling firms, has joined with the Association Of British Bookmakers (ABB) in welcoming the UK Government’s acceptance of the recommendations made by the recent Sportsbetting Integrity Panel.

A creation of the Department For Culture Media And Sport (DCMS), the Panel was headed by the former Chief Executive Officer for Liverpool Football Club, Rick Parry, and included representatives from the betting industry alongside police, players, fans, sports governing bodies, the legal profession and the Gambling Commission to address issues threatening the integrity of sport.

The Panel was commissioned by Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe in June to examine the scale of current risks to sports in the UK by way of betting corruption including how suspicious patterns are identified and assessed in markets both inside and outside of the country. Sutcliffe asked the body to report within six months with a clear set of recommendations to help uphold integrity in sports and the associated betting industry.

The group recommended the formation of a ‘sportsbetting intelligence unit’ that would be ‘efficient in its handling of intelligence from sports and betting and have an effective investigation process in place, which where appropriate will lead to disciplinary action under sports’ rules or criminal prosecution’. In addition, the report advocated the appointment of a director to lead the new body, which would be housed within the Gambling Commission.

The Panel also recommended the implementation of a comprehensive education programme on sportsbetting integrity for competitors run with the help of sports regulators and players associations alongside a new code of conduct to which all governing bodies would be required to adhere. This code of conduct would administered by a ‘sportsbetting group’ consisting of individuals from the world of sport while every sport would be required to implement a system for capturing intelligence and report regularly to the ‘sportsbetting intelligence unit’.

“Although the evidence, including that in an independent report that we published in January, demonstrates that instances of betting related corruption in sport are very few and far between, we can never be complacent about the risks,” said Clive Hawkswood, Chief Executive Officer for the RGA.

“It is important, therefore, that the betting industry in collaboration with the Gambling Commission and the sports themselves take reasonable steps to address the threats that exist.

“With regard to training and education, we are very pleased that the betting industry through the RGA and a number of the biggest betting operators in Britain, recently agreed a partnership with the Professional Players Federation to provide funding and support for the development of suitable programmes.”

“We remain committed to the process of establishing an effective intelligence, reporting and investigation process relating to integrity in sportsbetting issues and we believe that the Gambling Commission should be able to achieve these through existing resources,” said Patrick Nixon, Chief Executive Officer for the ABB.

“The Commission already has a professional intelligence infrastructure and analyst and investigation capability that bears comparison with that of any law enforcement or sports regulatory body. We will provide resource and expertise where required. If any new costs do emerge as these recommendations are applied then, provided they are proportionate and can be fully justified, the betting industry will meet those that it incurs in providing its support and we assume that the sports will do likewise.”