by Anton Johan
Changes are expected to gambling laws in the United Kingdom ahead of the
London Games. This is to ensure better information sharing between regulators,
the English police and the International Olympic Committee.
The Olympic Committee's president, Jacques Rogge, believes that
match-fixing and corruption have the potential to threaten the Olympics and is
doing his utmost to crack down on any possibilities ahead of the game.
Rogge has convened several international summits to see what can be done to
counter potential match fixing, and has earned the support of the UK in his
battle.
Rogge said last month: "It is a world problem and it is a very pernicious
problem. With the introduction of broadband you can bet worldwide."
"The danger is that from illegal betting comes match fixing and you can see
more and more attempts to manipulate matches. It is as dangerous as doping for
the credibility of sport. It's only the beginning of a huge battle."
Steps to Change the Law
Ahead of the Olympic Games, John Penrose, will announce changes to the
Gambling Act, which are set to add the International Olympic Committee and
international governing bodies to the list of those movements covered by the UK
Gambling Commission.
While the current list only covers domestic governing groups, it will be
expanded to include the IOC, Uefa, FIFA, the International Rugby Board and more.
As such, bookmakers will be legally obliged to
alert any of these authorities if they suspect suspicious betting patterns.
According to an article that appeared in The Guardian, "the rapid pace
of technological changes that has facilitated a global market, huge illegal
betting markets in Asia, and the rewards on offer for those tempted to cheap,
have combined to make the threat of match fixing abetting corruption a huge
issue for sports governing bodies."
Rogge added that some athletes may be tempted to cheat because they are not
paid as well as in other sports. He promised that the London Games will be
monitored very closely.
"The arsenal is there," he said. "I hope we don't have to use it."
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