A new nationwide commission has been set up by the Ministry of the Presidency to help the growing problem of match-fixing and fraud in Spain’s sports betting industry. The aim of the new board is to detect, prevent and combat illegal actions in the field of sports competitions and fraud in betting, according to government sources.
The commission will be made up from representatives of Spain’s gambling regulator, the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ, in Spanish), the National Police, the Civil Guard and the Higher Sports Council, as well as those affiliated with both sports competitions and the betting industry.
Their first task is to develop a new early warning system to detect the first signs of betting manipulation and match-fixing. “Corruption linked to the manipulation of sports competitions and betting-related fraud are two of the greatest threats to sport and horse racing, as it undermines each sport’s core values and ruins the experience for fans and spectators,” the Ministry said.
Members will work towards forming a new strategy that will develop action plans and recommendations or diagnoses to detect, prevent and combat illegal actions in the field of sports competitions and fraud in betting. The body will be chaired on a rotating basis by the head of the DGOJ and the Directorate General of Sports (DGS), who will alternate each year in the presidency.
The formation of the body follows on from recent crackdowns pertaining to corruption in the sporting world. Back in May, a number of Spanish first and second-tier footballers were arrested following allegations of match-fixing and involvement in a criminal organization.