LONDON: The Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions, more commonly known as the Macolin Convention that aims to prevent, detect and punish match fixing, was signed on Thursday by the UK government.
UK Sports Minister Mims Davies and Council of Europe deputy secretary general Gabriella Battaini Dragoni inked the pact, which is the only one dedicated in the continent to fighting the manipulation of sports competitions.
“Match-fixing is a real threat to the integrity of sport. It is a crime that robs spectators of the pleasure of watching a contest that they can trust. “While I’m confident that we have a robust system in place to prevent match-fixing, we cannot be complacent. It is a cross-border issue, and only through a coordinated international effort can we mitigate the risks.” Davies said.
“I warmly welcome today the United Kingdom’s signature of the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions. This treaty is the only international legally-binding instrument against match-fixing, illegal betting, bad governance, insider information, conflicts of interests and the use of clubs as shell companies. This is a clear commitment by the United Kingdom to secure integrity in sport through our convention.” Dragoni added.
During the signing, the minister welcomed the leadership shown by the council in developing this convention and highlighted the work of the Gambling Commission and the Sports Betting Integrity Forum in combating match-fixing in the UK. The convention encourages sports organisations and competition organisers to put appropriate measures in place such as adopting principles of good governance and educating athletes.
UK Gambling Commission Executive Director for Enforcement and Intelligence, Richard Watson said: “We are pleased that the government has signed the Convention. It demonstrates our commitment to international collaboration in the fight against the manipulation of sports competitions and to protecting the integrity of both sport and sports betting in Great Britain.”
