Joint global action is necessary to combat illegal betting, says Rogge
The London Olympics will inevitably be tainted by illegal betting, says IOC President Jacques Rogge and suggests the establishment of a global anti-corruption unit similar to the World Anti-Doping Agency, WADA within the next few years.
At a seminar hosted by the AIPS, Rogge expressed concern that many countries do not have legislation in place to deal with the increasing match-fixing and cheating in sport, reports The Telegraph.
“As it becomes increasingly obvious that large criminal networks are benefiting from illegal betting, we encourage governments, where possible, to put in place specific criminal legislation,” the IOC President urged.
“The potential for corruption is at an all-time high,” he continued. “What’s worse, this cancer continues to go largely unregulated in many parts of the world.”
Rogge also underlined the need for a joint effort to stamp out this problem.
“A serious, concerted effort by all parties is needed to combat the problem, which is becoming increasingly difficult to detect as the cheaters are trending away from manipulating major sporting events or even the outcomes of matches.”
The IOC is hosting a global seminar on the issue on 1 March this year.
SOURCE: THE TELEGRAPH